Ripples in Time
by Rose1991
Summary: "Change one thing, change everything."-Butterfly Effect. My name is Mia Jicama. I am a Saiyan born and raised on Earth. And according to the time scrolls, I never should have existed. 100 fav's and follows! And almost 15,000 reads! Thanks guys!
1. Prologue

Prologue

Asylum

 _Decades ago, sixteen years before I was born, a planet named Vegeta was blown to smithereens by an alien dictator named Frieza. The Saiyans were wiped from existence save for four men: a General, Nappa; a child warrior who clawed his way onto an elite team, Raditz; a Saiyan Prince, Vegeta; and a toddler whose loving parents smuggled him off planet, Kakarrot. The rest of the race was blown to pieces along with the planet after a direct order for every saiyan warrior to return home. That is what the timeline_ _ **should**_ _be, I'm told. But one minor tweak in history has changed everything._

 _It all started when two time patrollers paid a visit to deal with a simple villain only to find everything wrong. The vestiges of the Saiyan race of a couple thousand who shouldn't be alive according to the time scrolls were on Earth, living and thriving. But I get ahead of myself. I should start from the beginning, my beginning._

 _My name is Mia Jicama. I am a Saiyan born and raised on Earth. And according to the time scrolls, I never should have existed._

* * *

Siyaka sat in her room, her heart pounding with worry. Thirty seconds was too long. The anticipation was killing her. A death sentence waiting for her on the simple answer of a stick. She had smuggled one out of the medic bay after a mandatory check-up this morning. Now all she could do was pray. Pray that a negative symbol popped up. It had been almost a month since she and Vegeta had done anything, but it would still only give her a couple weeks before any changes would be visible. _If_ there were any changes to be visible. _If_. She really hoped on that "if."

The timer on her scouter went off, and she rushed forward, her breath caught in her throat. Her heart dropped with horror seeing that dreaded positive symbol laughing back up at her. Her hand went to her stomach and cursed what grew inside.

* * *

She stood at the attack pod thinking about exactly what she was planning. Vegeta stood behind her shaking his head. "I still don't understand why you'd volunteer for this. I mean what happened to you? All of a sudden, you're digging through records until you find a missing Saiyan who's been gone since he was a babe. If he is alive, why would you bring him here?"

She gave him a pout. "Don't say that."

"Seriously," he growled, "You know how the Saiyans have been treated ever since we lost the planet. Why would you willingly bring one back who was saved from that fate?"

Siyaka knew what he was talking about, and it made her heart ache. His little brother, born and sent off just before the planet was blown up. He was worried about him, and if his love … his fiancé would actually betray him like that. But there was more going on than her prince even knew. More of his race was alive than he dreamed. This was her best option without revealing the Saiyan secret. "That's not why I'm doing this."

Vegeta gaped at her as if she wasn't making any sense. "Why won't you tell me? Why are you doing this? Why are you leaving to find Kakarrot? Why aren't you taking a team with you?"

She shook her head. "Frieza wanted it to be a one man mission." That was all she could really answer. If she told him what was really going on, why she was really doing this, Frieza could figure it out. And if he knew, she was definitely going to be killed. This was her only chance to keep herself alive, to keep them both alive.

"You still aren't telling me anything," Vegeta stated disappointedly, his mouth contorted in a sneering frown.

Her expression softened. He knew she was lying to him. His coal black eyes betrayed his hurt he was too proud to voice or show in any other way. She reached for his hand, even though they were being watched by Frieza's agents on all sides. This was the most affection they could ever show each other off mission without worry of Frieza doing something about it. She gave his hand a squeeze hoping everything she felt, all her worry for their lives, all her love, passed through that one squeeze, like so many other touches before. But the gloves prevented the physical contact necessary to connect her mind to his. "I'm doing this for us. I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you."

He shook his head, done arguing and risking revealing to Frieza's agents that there was something more between them than the relationship of a Prince and his subject. She gave his hand another squeeze before hitting the button to open the pod. She let go of him and took her seat in the pod. She looked back at him, seeing his worry and disappointment on his face. It was a rare expression seen on the Prince of all Saiyans, but there it was. She tried to send him a comforting smile, but she knew in her eyes, her sad eyes, he could tell they were never going to see each other again.

The pod door slammed shut with a hiss, and within a second shot into the sky, hurtling her towards Earth.

* * *

"You will be descending into Earth's atmosphere in 30 seconds," her scouter read off. She took a deep breath. It was almost go time. As soon as she hit the Earth's atmosphere, she'd have to act. She rubbed her swollen belly as she breathed calmly. She had been in the pod for three months, leaving her at four months, almost full-term pregnant saiyan, and she was cramped. These pods were too small for anyone pregnant, even if their species pregnancies didn't develop as fast as the Saiyans' usual four and a half months. She was thankful the IV the pods used for sustenance during that time was there. But at the first chance she got, she was eating her fill.

She began counting down calmly to her entering the atmosphere. "Ten … nine … eight … seven … six …" she undid her IV, unbuckled her seat belt, and prepped the radio for an emergency report. "Five … four … three … two … Base! Base! This is Siyaka! The ship has malfunctioned. The cool down into the atmosphere has faulted!"

"Siyaka, this is Base. What is going on?"

She started screaming, as if in pain. She had to sell it. "The ship, it's burning inside and out. It's coming in too hot! OH GOD! HELP!" She grabbed the files and things she'd prepared to keep, and prepped a leg to kick open the pod's door.

"Siyaka, what happened?! What's going on!?" She heard Vegeta on the other side of the radio. She frowned as she kicked open the door. The massive force of air rushed over the radio. This was her goodbye.

She let out one last blood curdling scream before diving out of the pod. The air was thin up where she was, but still a little breathable, just barely. She aimed a hand down to her pod and shot an energy blast, causing the round ship to explode. She turned off her scouter, crushing it to make sure they couldn't use it to find her.

She began to ease herself down onto earth, holding her huge belly as she prayed that it worked. That she and her child would be safe from Frieza's clutches. It was almost an hour before she actually touched ground. The air was easy to breath, and the gravity lighter than planet Vegeta. She rubbed her belly. She looked down at it, feeling the baby move. "Welcome home," she whispered breathily. She looked around, hoping to find some semblance of civilization, and felt relief when she saw smoke in the distance in the middle of a small forest. Slowly, she began walking over there, stretching out her cramped limbs from the flight over.

* * *

She shrieked out as another contraction went through her. "Remember your breathing," the old lady they called a midwife reminded. Siyaka adopted the human trick of lamaz breathing as the next contraction came. She had been lucky when she found the home in the woods. An old couple lived there who were eager to help her seeing she was about to give birth. They were really sweet, and had a midwife brought over immediately to check on her and the baby's health. It had been two weeks since Siyaka had landed that she woke up in the middle of the night in the worst pain she had ever been in. The old man acted quickly, running out to his transport, what they called a car, to get the midwife. And now they were here, the old woman applying a cold rag to her head, and the old man occasionally running in with ice chips.

"Alright, Siyaka, I see the head," the midwife called from between her spread legs. "Just one more big push." Siyaka caught her breath and complied, letting out another cry. She felt relief as the baby came out of her with a loud cry. The midwife cradled the baby in her arms. "It's a girl," she announced with a smile. "Let me go wash her up, and then I'll give her to you." Siyaka nodded, watching the midwife take her into the bathroom.

The old lady that took her in, Mia, smiled at Siyaka and asked, "Have you picked a name for her yet?"

Siyaka shook her head. "I actually thought it was a boy. But a girl, I'll have to think." She frowned as she thought. Maybe after her mother, or Vegeta's mother. Then she realized, her daughter, even though pure Saiyan blood ran through her veins, was born earthling. Maybe she should choose an earthling name. Siyaka turned to Mia and asked, "What does your name mean?"

Her lively green eyes went wide, and she replied, "Well, it's Latin for rebellion or bitter. But it can also mean 'wished for child.' But my mother chose the name because I was born just after my father died at war. The term 'Missing in action' or 'MIA' was what they told my mother. So in a way, she named me for him."

"Mia," Siyaka sighed, a small smile tugging on the edge of her mouth. It fit. Her life was a rebellion against Frieza, and as much as Siyaka had worried in the beginning, she knew she always wanted children. And she was technically missing in action. It was ironic that she fell into the caring arms of such a woman, or maybe it was fate. "You don't mind, do you?"

The older lady beamed at her. "It would be my honor," she replied.

* * *

Five years had passed since Siyaka had found her and her daughter's asylum on Earth. Since Mia's birth, things had changed. Siyaka had immersed themselves into Earth's culture, while still teaching Mia what little she remembered of their Saiyan heritage. Saiyan lullabies she remembered from the nursery, and old legends passed down through the generations. She had been able to hold onto the files and trinkets from her time with Frieza. The files were mostly for Kakarrot, in case she finally found him, but she never did.

After Siyaka got what was referred to as a GED, she went through some school, which bored her to death, but now she worked as human law enforcement, or a cop, in a city called Orange Star City. It wasn't overtly huge, but it was big enough for Siyaka and Mia to get an apartment in town and start living on their own. Siyaka didn't like feeling like she had imposed on the older couple, even though they had shown her so much kindness. So, before Mia had turned a year old, Siyaka had moved out, but kept in occasional contact with them.

Siyaka came home, holding little Mia's hand as they got to their apartment. She searched for her keys in this satchel called a purse, which she found handy occasionally. It wasn't pretty, just small and made of leather. Mia swung their conjoined arms back and forth as she hummed a song she just heard on the radio. Siyaka had tried to use the car as much as possible to blend in, but Siyaka had taught Mia a few things, like how to fly and throw a punch. And to never look at the full moon. She had bought them sleeping masks for those nights, and under no circumstances was Mia allowed out after dark on those days.

With a click of the key, they were inside and Mia was running over to her toys. Mia's hair was somewhat a silky wild mess, but gracefully long, similar to Vegeta's mother, the Queen. And jet black like Vegeta's. Each morning, Siyaka would take time braiding her daughter's hair in an attempt to bring it under control.

Siyaka smiled, watching her daughter, setting her purse and keys on the counter in the apartment's small kitchen. "So, Mia, how was school?" she asked, unbuttoning her uniform shirt and taking it off, leaving herself in her white tank top she wore underneath. She walked into the living room and sat on their old couch they bought at a thrift shop when they moved in. Mia continued to play with her dolls, her tail twitching in the air. "Did you make any new friends?"

Mia dropped the dolls, and with a pout said, "No."

Siyaka tilted her head to the side with a frown. "Aw, Mia, did something happen?"

Mia kept pouting but turned to her mother, her gaze focused on the Barbie doll's blond hair that she rubbed between her fingers. "Videl pulled on my tail during recess, and I got in trouble for punching her."

"Another fight, Mia?" Siyaka asked, disappointment in her voice. "You have to be better than that. We can't blow our cover here."

Mia pouted more at her mother. "But Momma, she's so mean. And she wouldn't let go when I asked her. A-and," Mia began to cry, her hiccups setting in early this time, "she got the _whole_ class to call me 'Monkey Mia.' The _whole_ class."

Siyaka frowned. Since Mia started going to school earlier that year, Siyaka had begun to witness the darker side to humanity. The children were ruthless to any other kid they deemed different, and Mia didn't have enough control of her tail yet to hide it like Siyaka did. It made Siyaka's heart ache knowing her daughter was stuck with merciless kids.

Siyaka let out a sigh, and patted the spot on the couch next to her. "Come here."

Mia clambered up and curled up in her mother's lap, crying into her legs. Her shoulders shaking from her erratic breathing. Siyaka ran her hands over Mia's head and gently rubbed her back, whispering, "Ok, calm down. You don't want to get sick." Mia tried her hardest to control her breathing, but every time she would come close, she'd start to blubber again. Siyaka let out a sigh and reached for the tv remote. "Here, let's see if your favorite show can calm you down. What do you think about some Powerpuff Girls?" Mia nodded, still crying, but trying to dry her tears. Her onyx eyes were puffy and red-ringed from tears. Siyaka nodded with a smile. "You're ok, hon." She flipped on the tv, but froze when she saw what was on the news.

"Momma?" Mia sniffled looking between the tv and Siyaka. "Momma, what is it?"

On the tv was a very familiar pod, with the words "Alien Invasion" splayed across the screen. " _A mighty battle is going on in the Gobe Wastelands, starting not long after two alien spaceships crashed into Red Rose City. There was considerable damage done in the city. A warning for people watching, the next scene we are going to show is incredibly graphic and not recommended for the faint of heart._ " The demolished city in flames and dead people mixed with debris littered the screen. " _This is what is left of Red Rose City. The death toll is now around 10,000 people dead, and 23,000 people injured. The national guard has been sent in to help with recovering victims of this horrible tragedy._ " The screen went back to the reporter out on scene in the Gobe Wastelands. He had a frown on his face as he waited for the reporter back at headquarters to ask, " _Do we know what the aliens want? Why are they here? Was this an accident or a planned attack?_ " He shook his head. " _No, Marie. The aliens haven't tried to make contact with us yet; however, we found one of their spaceships abandoned a couple miles from what's left of Red Rose City_." The camera started to shake heavily, then a mighty roar was heard. The camera panned up showing a Saiyan in Oozaru form in a uniform Siyaka would recognize anywhere.

"Vegeta," she breathed as she got up. She ran over to her map, locating the Gobe wastelands. She realized they weren't far. A twenty minute flight, max. She had to stop him. Maybe if he saw she was alive, he'd stop this needless bloodshed. Maybe even join her in the life she had started building for her and their daughter. "Mia, we're leaving, now!" Siyaka order, hitting the power button on the tv. Mia jumped off the couch and ran after her mom towards the door leading to their back porch. Siyaka sprung out, soaring towards the wastelands with a good speed, Mia a couple seconds behind her.

All Siyaka could think of was seeing Vegeta again for the first time in almost six years. Part of her couldn't breathe with anticipation. Her heart pounded with hope and fear. Did he still love her, miss her like she did him? How would he react to meeting Mia? Would he welcome her with open arms or reject her like so many others had recently?

After several minutes of flying, Siyaka looked behind her seeing Mia had fallen behind. She slowed down, waiting for her daughter to catch up. "You need to keep up Mia. It might be faster if you just rode on my back." Mia nodded, blinking heavily from her bangs flicking her eyes from the wind. Siyaka stopped, allowing Mia to position herself on her back, Siyaka's tail wrapping around her, securing her daughter in place before taking off again, this time as fast as possible.

"Momma, where are we going?" Mia called out over the loud winds.

"We're seeing your father," Siyaka answered, her heart giddy at the prospect of seeing her love again.

Mia was silent for a bit before asking, "I have a daddy?"

Siyaka laughed. "Everyone has a daddy, Mia."

Mia went silent again, pondering something before asking, "If I have a daddy, why don't I ever see him?"

Siyaka sighed with a frown. That was the harder question to answer. "Because he lives very far away."

Mia tilted her head in curiosity. "Doesn't he like us?"

"Yes," Siyaka replied, almost automatically. "Daddy loves us."

It was silent for a long time before Mia stated with a sort of finality, "If Daddy loves us, he should live closer." Siyaka laughed. It made sense in the mind of a child, unaltered by the truths and complexities of universe she lived in. Mia's mind was black and white like most children. Eventually she'd find the world was a lot more gray than certain.

Finally, they reached the Gobe Wastelands, but there was no mighty battle going on, no Oozarus to be found. Siyaka flew around, her heart pounding as she imagined the prospect of seeing her love again. As she looked around, she saw craters in mountains and cliffs that had crumbled. A mighty battle had been fought, but there was no sign of her Vegeta.

She dropped down once she saw something small on the ground. As she got closer, she could see it was a Saiyan tail drenched in a pool of blood. Too much blood to survive, she thought. Her heart sank as a realization hit her. M-maybe Vegeta didn't survive the battle. That seemed unlikely, but as she looked around the area, it seemed more probable. Bits of his uniform shredded littered the battle field and soaked in blood. And he never surrendered, not in all her years of knowing him. Her heart seemed to hit bottom, sucking out the air from her lungs. "Vegeta, no." She began to breathe harder, having difficulty controlling her breath as Mia had trouble sometimes when she cried. A rage had been building inside her that was finally about to burst. First, she and Vegeta couldn't be together because of Frieza, and ultimately she had to leave because they had consummated their love as a form of rebellion against the alien tyrant. And now, as soon as her hopes for happiness returned, they were dashed to the winds by his death. She wasn't just sad, but it fuelled her anger. Whoever was responsible for her love's death, for his pain would pay dearly. She could feel her body exerting more energy than usual, her aura beginning to burn around her like her anger. It almost felt like she was going Oozaru, but more powerful, and she still had control of her senses completely, except mentally, she saw red. She let out a scream of rage before collapsing on the ground pounding it with her fists, cracking the solid rock ground. Her breathing was still ragged, and her aura glowed gold around her, and her usually short curly black hair felt as if it were standing on end.

"M-Momma?" Mia cried. "What's going on?" Siyaka's glare turned to her daughter, about to snap at her only to see shock and fear returned in Mia's eyes. "Momma, your hair," she whimpered, "how did you do that?"

Siyaka didn't answer her, instead looking around hoping to find one of the fighters that fought her Vegeta. There was no way Vegeta could suffer such a fate from one person alone, of that she was sure. And she was going to make each one of them pay. "Stay here, Mia," Siyaka growled, flying up to search the battlefield.

Mia flew up to her mom, her arms splayed out and her face serious. "Momma, Stop!" she yelled.

"Mia, move!" Siyaka growled, lifting a hand to blast her away. Not to hurt her, but to move her.

"No, Momma. Remember, we can't blow our cover," Mia reminded her, saying the same words Siyaka had told her not even an hour ago.

Siyaka's eyes flinched as she felt her heartbeat slow from its erratic pace. What was she doing? Mia was trying to protect them both. She didn't deserve to be blasted away. Siyaka felt her breathing still ragged as she felt her power draining. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to destroy their home. They had nowhere else to go. Her eyes stung with tears as the fiery aura around her began to dissipate, and her hair fell back into its normal place. "I'm sorry, Mia. I'm so sorry," Siyaka cried, flying over to Mia before pulling her into a hug, her hand running over Mia's hair. "L-let's go home," she sighed, her tone defeated. Mia nodded against her mother's waist in agreement.

* * *

Five years passed by, and things had pretty much stayed the same. After an incident at Mia's school, Siyaka had been forced to move her to another. Mia seemed happier, especially since Siyaka had been able to teach her how to control and hide her tail away from the judgmental eyes of the other kids. Mia had gained a new class full of nicer, more welcoming kids. Mia hadn't made any close friends per say, as her first time around in school had made her a little shy and wary of the other kids' intentions. She was still guarded, but she was becoming stronger for it, which made Siyaka happy for her. Mia no longer craved the acceptance of her peers because she had her own, and that was more than any mother could ask for.

The schools in the district had called for a Spring Break during the tumultuous times going on. The current Martial Arts champion was about to go up against Cell, a being reporters had said was hell-bent on destroying the world. Siyaka had been tempted to fight when they announced the fight, but she knew there was no point. She was definitely no match for a bug creature that sucked its victims whole through its tail. She'd fight him if he came to her, but she wasn't about to risk her life with Mia counting on her completely. And Mia definitely wasn't strong enough to fight by her. Even though Siyaka had gotten control of her Super Saiyan form, she had refused to teach Mia how to become a Super Saiyan in case of Mia having another incident at school.

Mia had grown a lot in those five years. Her form was already turning into that of a young lady as her chest and hips had already begun to develop. She wasn't tall though, but she only had one more growth spurt until she caught up with Siyaka's height. Her hair was still silky and wild, but she had begun to handle it herself by braiding it daily in a single silky black rope.

Siyaka stood in the kitchen, mixing up dinner. "Mia, time to eat!" she called to her daughter. When her daughter didn't answer, she called out again. "Mia!?"

"In here, Mom. You should see this," Mia replied from the living room, turning up the tv. Siyaka walked in with a frown seeing her daughter watching the Cell games. The cameraman was panning the fighters who went to fight against Cell, and one of them caused Siyaka to drop the bowl she held in her hands. "Mom, those are Super Saiyans. I-I thought we were the last," Mia stated, pointing at the screen.

Siyaka gaped at the screen, as it showed Vegeta, his hair turned blond and his eyes green. He'd definitely figured out how to transform into a Super Saiyan. But he was dead. She had been sure of it. And after all her searching for Kakarrot, she had been certain he too was dead. That she and her Mia were the last of their kind. But there stood four Super Saiyans, two of which she did not recognize. "I thought we were, too."


	2. Chapter 1

AN: So I totally forgot to put my disclaimer on the Prologue, but here it is on every chapter now on. I should add, this story is a throwback to the first FanFic my sister (princessSiyaka) and I wrote 12 years ago, but never published. It's gone through several alterations since then, but this is the first one where we have a plot and a plan (so far into Dragonball Super). And after Xenoverse, I saw an opportunity for this story to be fairly awesome and almost canon. ALMOST. So, a bunch of the new DBZ stuff is going to be brought in, starting in the last leg of DBZ. I hope you all enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

 _Majin Saga_

Chapter 1

I Know What You Are

Mia sat in the back corner of the class, her usual spot away from Videl and her friends. It made things easier to stay away from her, and everyone who attended Orange Star High School. Since they were little, Mia and Videl never got along. And because Videl was the most popular girl in the school, thanks to her father being the one who defeated Cell and being the World Champion, Mia didn't have a lot of, scratch that, _any_ friends that Videl hadn't tainted with her rumors and hate for the young Saiyan girl. But over the years, Mia had learned to become the bigger person. She never forgave Videl for how she had been treated over the years, but she had learned to ignore it. Mia had always done better in school than her anyway, so at least she had that going for her.

It was her Calculus period, which was before her last period, gym. The class would be split for a thirty minute lunch break, towards the end of the period, the one thing Mia looked forward to in this period. As she sat back, she listened to the other students gossiping about the Gold Fighter from this morning's robbery. She hadn't seen a kid even remotely matching his description, but her first two periods were AP Classes, Genetics and Literature, classes she actually enjoyed. So it was likely that she hadn't been in class with him yet, as her AP classes were small, consisting of five or six people. Calculus however was one of her bigger classes, because it was the average class for their grade.

The professor stood in front of the class, trying to calm the class down to quiet clamor. The professor announced, "Now most of you know by now that we have a new student." Mia looked up, seeing a boy walk in wearing red pants, a white shirt, with a black vest. Exactly what the Gold Fighter was said to be wearing. Mia focused on him, black hair; dark brown, almost black eyes; and peachy skin. He was tall, well to her. He had to be around six feet compared to her five foot two. "Class, this is Gohan, as most of you know by now. Gohan, take your seat." He nodded and walked towards the seat next to Erasa on the other side of the room, near Videl.

Mia was transfixed. Even though he looked like nothing in the muscle department, he had the grace of a fighter in his steps. _If he were a Saiyan, that would explain the Gold Fighter._ She narrowed her eyes as she watched him. His hair was black like the Saiyans, and his eyes were the same dark brown as every Saiyan. However, it was impossible to know for sure unless she saw either his tail of if he went Super Saiyan. But, if she remembered correctly, the Saiyans from the Cell Games had gotten rid of their tails, and if that was the case, she couldn't know officially unless she saw him transform. Unless …

"Mia, why don't you come up and solve the equation?"

She looked up, away from the new kid, Gohan, and back to the front. There was no equation on the board, leaving her nervous. "Uhm, what equation, Sir?"

The professor glowered at her while a few of the students chuckled at her expense. She shot a furtive glance to Gohan. The whole class seemed to be focused on her, but Gohan's face was the most pitiful and worried. "Page ninety-six, first problem of the work section."

Mia licked her lips nervously. "On the board?" The professor nodded curtly, an annoyed expression on his face. She swept up her book and walked up to the board, flipping the pages until she found page ninety-six. She grabbed a piece of chalk and began to write on the board. Her handwriting was always scratchy and hard to read, but on the board, all of its imperfections were magnified. Once she reached the answer, she stepped aside, putting the chalk down.

The professor looked at her, then gestured to the class, "Now explain your process, Ms. Jicama."

She let out a small huff as she explained her step by step until she reached her answer. The professor nodded, and gestured back to her seat. Mia nodded, going back to her seat. The new kid eyed her as she walked to the back of the class. She could tell he was impressed by her. She sat back down and went back to note-taking with a smile on her face. Saiyan or not, maybe she could sway him from Videl's hateful clutches, and convince him to be her friend instead.

* * *

Siyaka dropped the file in front of her perp from this morning's robbery. "As far as I'm concerned, this is an open and shut case." Siyaka sighed as she crossed her arms, leaning back against the back wall. "Well, for you, at least."

"I want my lawyer," the guy growled, not looking at her.

Siyaka let out a laugh. "You were caught red-handed. Nothing much your lawyer can do to help you," she stated, shaking her curly haired head. "You're looking at thirty-five years in prison _just_ for the robbery, unless you give me some information about the other charges."

"I ain't sayin' nothin', chick!" he snapped back, spit flinging from his lips onto her face.

She cocked and eyebrow at him, paired with a disgusted frown as she gently wiped the spittle away with one finger. "That's fine. I'll just tell you what I know, and if you feel like chiming in to reduce your sentence, that's fine too." With a sigh, she opened her file and read, "Upon booking, we acquired your finger prints, which just so happened to match a set of prints in an unsolved murder case from a year ago." She shot him a mock surprised smirk, "How fortunate for us." She turned back to her file, pulling out a photo of a discarded bullet casing, and laying it out in front of him to look at. "This bullet casing was recovered at the crime scene of DA Curtis's murder with your print on it. However," she added, through pursed lips and a sassy shrug, "the gun it was shot from was traced back to the Red Shark Gang's higher up, Louis 'Rig-em-up' Rigby.

"Now," she leaned in, clasping her hands together, "DA Curtis was trying a case on Louis Rigby, and got the closest anyone ever got to locking him up. That gives Louis motive, unlike you," she sighed, "whose only connection to the late DA is the fingerprint on the bullet casing from the shot that killed him."

He chewed the inside of his lip before shrugging and leaning back. "So?"

"So," Siyaka stated, a twitch in her lip. Kami, he was annoying. "As of right now, that murder is pinned on you. Your fingerprint on the bullet casing, and I'm sure if we dig further, we'll find a match for the carpet fiber found in our victim's hair will match the carpet in your car's trunk, which matched the car style and license plate we recovered of the car the DA was crammed into when he was last seen alive." She got up, leaving the file in front of him open as she leaned lazily against the double-sided mirror, adopting the criminal's coolly confident stance. She frowned shaking her head as if disappointed. "Tsk. This is damning evidence, and would drive your sentence up to life, and possibly even death row."

There was a pregnant pause as the criminal focused on the open file in front of him, full of pictures of a dead body lying out in a pool of blood on the pavement. This information was sinking in slowly, but Siyaka could tell he was the type of gangster that could easily be turned into a rat for the cops. "Now, Ricky," she smiled seductively, leaning over the table, giving him a good view of her cleavage. She was a woman after all, and knew how to use her wiles. "I can call you Ricky, right?" He didn't answer, so she shrugged, continuing as she strutted around him, her finger lazily tracing along the table. "You can change your fate from permanent jail-time if you help me with this." She stopped in the corner opposite him, looking at him waiting for an answer. When he didn't give one, refusing to even look at her, she nodded. "Alright. Have a good _life_ , I guess," she added as she walked to the door.

"Wait, wait wait," the guy pleaded. She stopped, her hand on the door knob. "Louis wanted him dead," Ricky stated with a gruff tone. "I was working my way in, and that was my ticket to the next rung up in ranks."

"Your ticket?" Siyaka asked curiously.

"Yeah," Ricky sighed. "I already had the recommendation, but that was my initiation to the next rank. For each rank you have to prove yourself, from entering to making boss."

Siyaka quirked an eyebrow. "Must have been a high rank for such a steep initiation."

Ricky shrugged. "It varies. But yeah, initiation is generally submitting to being the fall guy for someone in the next rank. They usually protect you when shit starts to stir, but…"

Siyaka tapped her finger against her elbow, and asked, "Would you be willing to sign a confession for a plea deal?"

Ricky nodded. "As long as I don't get the chair. They aren't worth that much trouble. I only got into it because it was easy money."

Siyaka smiled and tapped the mirror with her fist, gently. "Alright, I'll get the DA." She stepped out of the interrogation room and was met with raucous applause.

"Detective Jicama bags another one," her partner laughed, clapping a hand on her shoulder. Detective Rito, her partner, always had the tough guy act going. His ex-military background had given him some tough guy stories to go with his chiseled looks and scars. He was only a couple inches taller than Siyaka, but he had packed on muscle under his civilian clothes over the years. His favorite hobby was hitting on women, and most melted under his intense chocolaty smolder. All except Siyaka. "This must be a record," he joked, as he guided her back to her desk. He laughed. "It must be that intense womanly glare." She shot him an odd look. "Hey, it's sexy. Own it," he shrugged, his hands up in surrender. She frowned at him in disapproval, and he grinned, pointing a finger at her. "That's it."

"Did you want something, Rito?" Siyaka sighed, returning to the other file on her desk, flipping it open.

"Just congrats," Rito smiled genuinely, leaning back in his chair. "It's not every day we detectives get a good hit landed against the mob."

Siyaka shook her head. "We wouldn't have gotten a hit without the Burglary Unit just happening to bring in our murderer. That's luck, not skill. And I don't like relying on or getting congratulated for good luck." Rito pursed his lips and looked away awkwardly.

"You know, they got Al Capone with tax evasion, not murder," Rito offered hopefully after a short pause. When she didn't look at him, just shake her head at the file on her desk, he asked, "What's in the file?"

She clicked her tongue and frowned. "Just evidence the Satan City Police Department has gotten lazy," she stated, tapping the file with her finger. "We've got another vigilante in the city. _Unvetted_."

Rito frowned, reaching over for the file. "The Gold Fighter. He's the one who apprehended the robbers and our guy? And he wasn't arrested?"

Siyaka nodded, scratching her temple frustratedly. "When did we start turning a blind eye to vigilantes? Doesn't it say in our laws that no citizen is allowed to take the law into their own hands?"

Rito sighed in agreement. "I guess we forgot when Mr. Satan's daughter took an interest. Still, he should have been arrested."

"Yeah, well, Ms. Satan's actions have opened up opportunities for other vigilantes to step in. And mark my words, we will be out of a job without pension or pay if that happens," Siyaka sighed. "But I guess there is a line drawn with the vetting process, setting aside the lawful and unlawful vigilantes," she added sarcastically.

"What does the captain want you to do with this 'Gold Fighter'?" Rito asked.

"The captain wants us to bring him in, as he technically committed assault and damage to property in front of police officers. Even if it was against some scum criminals."

* * *

Gohan came out of the Gym locker room, sweatpants on with a blue t-shirt. He honestly felt more comfortable in this than the outfit his mom had bought for his first day of school. He followed the rest of his class outside to the baseball diamond. "Don't show off your powers," he could hear his mother nagging in the back of his mind. In the classroom, that wasn't a hard direction to follow, but this was Gym class. A class devoted to physical fitness. He chewed on the inside of his lip nervously as he looked at some of the students stretching.

"Hey, Brainiac," Sharpner called, waving Gohan over to him, Videl and Erasa. He walked over, his hands in his pockets. He wasn't sure what to think of their group so far. Erasa was nice and bubbly. Sharpner seemed like he could be a bit of a jerk, but Gohan could tell it was an act to impress Videl. And Videl seemed overly critical of Gohan, ever since their first class that morning. He prayed she wasn't able to figure out it was him that morning at the bank.

"So, do you know how to play baseball?" Sharpner asked, an eyebrow cocked and a smirk on his face.

Gohan shrugged and replied, "Well, yeah. I've read about it?"

Sharpner laughed before turning to Videl. "You can have him."

"Gee, thanks," Videl growled at the blonde before looking over Gohan speculatively.

Erasa put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Oh, come on Videl. He might not be _that_ bad," Erasa stated with a smile. "At least Sharpner has Mia."

Gohan's brow furrowed. "Who's Mia?"

Videl laughed, "You're right, Erasa. At least we don't have Mia."

Gohan shot both of the girls a confused look as they laughed. "Oh, she's the one who sucks at _every_ sport," Erasa explained, waving her hand. "She's a … bit of an oddball."

Videl let out a scoff. "Oh, that's what we're calling her now?"

"Well, he doesn't know the story," Erasa stated defensively.

Videl shook her head with a laugh. "Whatever. Gohan, Erasa, you're in the outfield."

Erasa nodded, grabbing Gohan's wrist and dragging him to the outfield. "Wait, what story?" Gohan asked as he let Erasa drag him.

Erasa sighed, dropping his arm. "Well, back in ninth grade, Mia notoriously slept with a ton of guys in our class," she explained with a blank look. Gohan's jaw dropped a little, his eyes going wide. He hadn't even had his first kiss yet, and kids his age were doing _that_? Erasa shrugged as she continued. "It broke up a lot of couples, including Videl and her then sweetheart, Sharpner." Gohan let out an awkward cough as he tried to process this. "I know," Erasa scowled, looking towards the batting team, "it's disgusting. How a girl can just mess with people's hearts like that? It's horrible."

"Yeah," Gohan muttered, not sure what to say.

"It's probably because she never knew who her dad was," Erasa added blankly.

There was a thud at their feet, and Erasa jumped up with a squeal as the baseball rolled to her feet, clinging to Gohan for protection. "Hey guys! Look alive!" Videl called to them with a scowl on her face. Erasa separated herself awkwardly from Gohan with a blush before she picked up the ball and lazily threw it to the second baseman as the runner landed on the base.

As the play stopped, the second baseman passed the ball back to Videl on the pitcher's mound. Gohan watched as a somewhat shorter girl walked up to bat. Her black hair pulled back messily in a braid. She wore a short sleeve hoodie over a tank top showing off her ample sized chest. Her rolled-down navy blue shorts showed off her toned legs and very exposed midriff. He recognized her from the math class he had before this. "That's her," Erasa hissed.

As the girl put the bat over her shoulder to swing, Videl called out, "Everyone, scoot in!" The infield and outfield players, except Gohan walked toward the batter. She scowled at the other team as her grip on the bat tightened. Gohan noticed something off about her. Even though she didn't look it, Gohan got a sense she had a deep well of untapped power that his classmates would have no clue about. She was stronger than she looked, stronger than most humans, which was strange.

"Now, Mia, actually try to hit the ball," the coach said with a hopeful smile.

"No promises," she replied with a sarcastic smile.

Videl fired up the pitch and threw. Mia swung and missed, the bat below the ball, and her team groaned. Gohan looked at her curiously. If he was sensing her correctly, she should be able to hit the ball, no problem. Maybe he was wrong. His classmates did say she was horrible at sports. Well, they said a lot of things, but maybe they weren't all wrong.

"Strike One!"

"Don't count the strikes this time," the coach ordered.

"Sir?" the catcher asked.

"Mia, you are not leaving the batting area until you hit the ball. In all your years at this school, you haven't hit the ball once," the coach stated plainly. A wave of snickers and chuckles went through the class at that. "Since this is your last time playing before graduation, you will hit the ball once, and you will not sit down until then. Understand?"

Mia gritted her teeth as their classmates began to complain. "None of us are going to play," someone groaned. "Do you have a tee or a tennis racket?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

The coach pursed his lips and replied, "I'll give you ten strikes. But if you don't hit the ball, I will have to fail you this grading period." The class oh-ed dangerously at the prospect. "I don't want to do that, so hit the ball." When Mia didn't say anything, the coach signaled Videl for the next pitch.

Videl pitched another four times, and with each strike, the class groaned, and Gohan felt his shoulders sinking with boredom. "Come on, slut," someone called out from the infield. Suddenly a chant began. "Slut! Slut! Slut! Slut!" And Gohan grew uncomfortable. These kids could be mean. And he suddenly understood why his mother made him promise not to use his powers. Videl revved up her pitch again as the chant got louder. Gohan noticed Mia's eyes gain a focus they didn't have before, and she swung. With a loud cracking clang, she made contact with the ball, and it soared out with a speed Gohan hadn't witnessed in an inanimate object before. The class stared at the sky with wonder as Mia started running to first base, second base.

"The Hell are you doing!?" she snapped at the student on third staring dumbly into space. Her sharp tone brought the runner's attention back to the game as he ran to home base, Mia following close behind.

The gym teacher smiled at her as she jogged in. "You passed," he stated as she landed on the home plate. "Have a seat." She nodded and sat down, grabbing her notebook and writing.

A couple more batters ran through as Gohan contemplated exactly how to play without giving away his super powers. Anything was better than being considered different. Certainly not playing at all would look bad for his reputation. He didn't want to be like Mia, where the other kids complained about his inability to play any games at all, but at the same time, he couldn't show that he could fly, or throw a boulder with ease. As Sharpner approached the bat, Gohan decided to try. As Sharpner hit the ball, Gohan watched it, jumping into the air gently to catch it. Seeing the runner at third off base, he threw it gently to the baseman, floating down to the ground. With those being the last two outs, that meant it was his team's turn to bat. As he landed, he was met with gazes full of shock and awe, and his stomach plummeted. He overdid it. He tried to laugh it off as his classmates' eyes followed him.

"That was great, Gohan. You must have jumped twenty feet in the air," his coach stated blankly.

"Oh, no, it's the shoes," Gohan replied sheepishly. "Yeah, with the air cushions. They really make a difference." As he went to sit down, a classmate asked, "Hey aren't you first to bat?" Gohan gulped as he grabbed a bat. "I guess." He lined himself up in the left hand batter's position, even though he and everyone else just saw he was definitely right handed. Left handed, would dampen his batting power at least. He prayed he didn't make another mistake in showing his power.

"Uh, son, that's the left hander's spot," the coach stated awkwardly.

"Yeah, is that bad?" Gohan asked blankly.

The coach stared at him dumbfounded. "No … no it's not bad. Just, right handers tend to bat from the other side."

Gohan looked at the coach awkwardly. "Oh," was all he could think to reply with before turning back to Sharpner on the pitcher's mound. Gohan understood the mechanics of batting, but he had chosen left handed batting on purpose. Sharpner made his pitch, an evil glint in his eyes. That's when Gohan saw the ball heading straight for him. Perfect. He stayed still, letting the ball hit his hat, knocking it off his head. Sharpner gawked at him in shock as Gohan let out a relieved breath. "Hey, Coach, if I get hit, that means I walk, right?" The coach nodded, his shock on his face. With a grin, Gohan walked to first base, a skip in his step. He didn't have to show his powers, and he still got the chance to score a point.

The rest of the class passed without any hitches. Gohan made sure not to jump or dive for balls, and picked up a trick he saw some of his classmates use at the bat, called bunting, which made his second time at the bat so much easier. The bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and they all ran into the locker rooms. As a few guys talked to him as they walked into the locker room, asking him about his shoes, talking about his jump and catches, Gohan felt something brush against him. He looked around only to see a sea of students and ignored it. He followed the flow into the locker room, finding his locker.

He reached into his pockets to find the combination to his gym locker to change when his hand brushed a large folded piece of loose leaf paper. He pulled it out, opening it and his heart plummeting as he read it.

" _I know you're a Saiyan. Meet me on the roof after school."_

His mind started racing. How did they know he was a Saiyan? Who could possibly know this at this school? He had to know. He could ignore students saying he looked a little like the Gold Fighter. But Saiyan? That wasn't something a normal person would know. Not about the race, much less that he was part Saiyan.

"Hey, Gohan, what's that?" Sharpner asked as he threw on his shirt.

Gohan shook his head, balling up the paper. "It's nothing," he said, unlocking his locker and pulling out his regular clothes.

Sharpner finished tying his shoes as he gave Gohan and odd look. "Whatever. See you later, dude," Sharpner grunted, getting up from the bench and heading out of the locker room. Gohan nodded in response, and quickly got changed. He had to find out who knew what he was. He shut the locker with a divisive click and left to grab his backpack and books from his main locker.

"Where are you in a rush to?" Videl asked over his shoulder, seeing him practically throwing the textbooks into his bag. Her tone was so skeptical.

"Give him a break, Videl," Erasa giggled. She winked as she added, "He has an extra-long ride home, so he's probably just trying to make sure he gets home in time for dinner."

Gohan laughed. "Actually, yeah. Dinner," he lied, nervously.

Videl eyed him with slight disbelief, before muttering, "Come on, Erasa."

Erasa blushed, and with a wink and a wave, added, "Have a safe ride home, Gohan."

Gohan nodded awkwardly as he shifted his bag onto his shoulder. As soon as they were gone, he made his way to the stairs, and started climbing. It wasn't long before he reached the roof's red door, and he swung it open. He walked out, seeing no one there. How? Who left him the note if no one was here?

"I see you got my note, Gohan, son of Kakarrot," a voice purred behind him. It definitely belonged to a girl, but it wasn't high and bubbly like Erasa's, nor was it gruff and abrasive like Videl's. If anything, it reminded Gohan of Android 18's silky soft voice. The same calm, yet dangerous tone. And yet, her tone sounded more flirty and calculating.

Gohan turned around and was surprised who he saw in front of him. It was the short girl from his math and gym class, Mia. Her hair was still pulled back in a messy braid, a few whisps falling in her face. Her hands were on her hips, and a smirk on her face as she eyed him. Her lips were full, and her onyx eyes held a fiery spirit he recognized, but couldn't place. She had high cheekbones, giving her a regal look. She wore a green tank top that still showed some midriff, with a black leather jacket over it. Her jeans were ripped, but at least their waistband was higher than her gym shorts. And lastly, black combat boots to tie the whole tough look together. She was pretty, in a kickass sort of way that made Gohan's heart beat a pace faster. "So, the delivery boy from the Cell Games is all grown up and going to school," she smirked playfully. "Who'd have guessed?"

"How do you know about Saiyans?" he asked nervously, ignoring the part about how she knew about his part in the Cell Games. It was clear to him she knew more intimate details than his ability to go blonde at the drop of a hat.

Her smirk grew. "How about how do I know you are one of them?" When he didn't respond, only frown at her, she sighed. "Geez, you're no fun." Mia reached into the back of her pants, causing Gohan's eyes to go wide as she slowly drew out a long, furry brown tail. "As you can see, I too am a Saiyan." Gohan's gaze followed her tail as she dropped it, and it started to wag in the air. He instantly put up his fists. Every other Saiyan that had come to Earth had plans to destroy it. "Oh, there's no need for that," Mia sighed, putting her hands up open palmed as if in surrender. "I don't want to fight. You're just the first – well, _other_ Saiyan that I've ever met, other than my Mom."

Gohan eased up, but stuttered out, "Y-your mom?"

"Yeah," Mia answered.

Gohan had a confused look on his face as he sputtered out, "Your mom's a Saiyan."

Mia laughed, "Yeah. And she can go super like you." When his face remained blankly confused, she got a weird smile on her face. "What, you didn't think female Saiyans could go Super Saiyan?"

"No," Gohan answered blankly, "I didn't think female Saiyans existed." Mia frowned before beginning to laugh so hard, she had to clutch her stomach. "What?"

"J-just," Mia gasped between chuckles, "how did you think the Saiyans had progeny? Like we'd split like cells? Or or, like flatworms, with penis jousting."

Gohan frowned. "No … just …" he decided to drop it, and switched the topic to, "how do you know I'm a Super Saiyan?"

Mia smiled. "Finally, the right question. Now, you don't have a tail, but you are the only one at school wearing what the Gold Fighter wore this morning, and the only way that's possible is if you're a Super Saiyan. Which if you were one of the Saiyans at the Cell Games, I'd say that's likely." Gohan couldn't speak, couldn't move. How did this Saiyan girl know so much about him? How did this Saiyan girl exist? He, Vegeta, Trunks, and Goten were the only Saiyans left alive. Yet, Mia was his age, which meant there were more Saiyan's around that Vegeta hadn't known about. "I'm guessing by your silence you're confused." Gohan merely nodded. Mia sighed, "How's a good way to put this?" She tapped her chin with her finger as she contemplated how to start explaining her existence.

"How about you start with who you are and where you came from?" Gohan asked suspiciously.

Mia frowned, before replying, "My name is Mia Jicama, and I came from here, Earth. Born and raised."

"Here?" Gohan asked, his eyes wide. "So, you're half earthling, too?"

Mia gave him an awkward smirk, and said, "No. I'm a full-blooded Saiyan. I was just born on Earth." Then what he said hit her. "Wait, half earthling? You're a half human hybrid? That's possible!?" Gohan raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Wow!" she laughed. "That's crazy that alien races', like humans and saiyans, DNA would be close enough to … you know … procreate." When she noticed he was a little lost, she shook it off. "I'm a nerd for genetics. Sorry. Anyway, no. All I know is that my mother found out she was pregnant with me, and found a way to escape some intergalactic Napoleon named Frieza, who would have had her executed. But she escaped by going on a fake mission to find another saiyan, I'm guessing your father, Kakarrot. She faked her death, so they wouldn't follow her. She had me a couple weeks after landing here on Earth, and we've been hiding out here ever since."

Gohan let out a laugh. "Wow, Frieza. I haven't heard that name in forever."

Mia's eyes went wide. "You know him? Is he still looking for us?"

"I'd say no," Gohan smiled, scratching the back of his head. "He's been dead for almost ten years."

"He's dead?" Gohan nodded with a slightly proud smile. Mia let out a small, "Oh. Well, that's good." There was an awkward pause before she asked, "So, who killed him?"

Gohan frowned. "I-it's a little complicated to explain," he stated with a nod, thinking about future Trunks's first arrival. He frowned as he looked at her. "You said you are a full-blooded saiyan?" Mia nodded. "Well … uhm," Gohan started, pursing his lips as he thought about how he should put his question.

Mia seemed to catch on, and asked, "You're wondering who my father is?"

Gohan pursed his lips, and nodded with a small, "Yeah."

Mia shrugged. "I've never met him, but I know what he looks like," she explained. "If you were at the Cell Games, you would have met him."

Gohan's eyes went wide. "Vegeta?!" Mia nodded, and he started seeing the resemblance. That familiar spirit in her eyes. Some of her facial features. Her proud stance. He wasn't sure what he expected a daughter of Vegeta to look like, but it wasn't a pretty girl like Mia.

"You know him?" Mia asked, some excitement entering her eyes.

"Yes," Gohan laughed, "I know him. But he never mentioned a – a daughter."

Mia nodded with a shrug. "That's because he doesn't know." Gohan shot her a confused expression. Mia shook her head and rolled her eyes as she explained, "My mom never told him. Never told me why, and she refuses to introduce me to him." She shot him a mischievous look and offered, "But maybe I can get someone else to introduce me."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Who, me?" he asked, pointing to himself with shock.

"No, Santa Clause," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Yeah, you. Why not? I can help you, you can help me!"

Gohan laughed, "What can you do to help me?"

Mia scoffed. "Clearly, you suck at pretending you're normal, or we would not be having this conversation," she pointed out with a smirk, one he was surprised he hadn't recognized earlier.

He became defensive as he frowned at her and responded, "Hey. No one noticed anything weird about me today … well, except you."

"Bull," she laughed. She pointed to the side of the school where the baseball diamond was and stated, "No human can jump fifteen feet in the air, even on a good day. And I know for a fact that Converses," she pointed to his feet, "don't have air cushions in their shoes, as does most of the normal world. Also, normal humans don't throw a baseball at almost a hundred miles per hour, unless they are in the major leagues." She put her hands on her hips proudly, as if she had already proved her case. "Not to mention at lunch, you ate enough for five people, and clearly you aren't fat. And lastly, everyone knows what the Gold Fighter was wearing today and that he had the Orange Star Badge on, meaning he goes to school here, and only you wore that outfit." She let that sink in before adding, "If Videl doesn't figure you out by the end of the week, she's dimmer than I thought."

Gohan opened his mouth to defend himself, but as those facts sank into his mind he realized he'd been careless. More careless than she pointed out. She placed a hand on his chest, causing him to flinch. "It's ok," she sighed, looking up to him and giving him an intelligent yet sweet smile. "I can teach you how to blend in, so you won't stand out at all." She tapped a finger on his chest as she added, "Just introduce me to my Dad. And we have a deal." When he didn't respond after a few minutes, she added, "Please."

Gohan was at a loss for words as his heart pounded. He had never been so close to a girl like she was now, her face so close to his, and her eyes seemingly hypnotizing him. He didn't know what it was about her that he felt drawn to. He'd met bubbly girly girls like Erasa, and tough tom boys like Videl. But Mia was different. He wasn't sure where to put what the other classmates said about her, if they were just rumors or if there was some fact to them. He was inclined to dismiss it as rumors with all the knowledge about her that she just willingly gave him.

He could tell she was tough like him. And smart, which was refreshing after seeing most of the girls at school today who acted dimwitted. But she was sassy, and guarded. Yet at the same time, she seemed vulnerable, as if telling her no to introducing her to Vegeta would actually crush her. It was odd, because he had never been intrigued by someone else like he was with her. Most people, he could tell what they were like on the surface. But Mia was a puzzle. And he liked puzzles.

But if he said yes, how would Bulma feel knowing Trunks had a half sibling? How would she handle knowing Vegeta's old flame was still alive, and _on Earth_? How could he do that to his father's oldest friend? How could he afford not to? He couldn't survive high school if his classmates found out he wasn't normal. And as Mia just pointed out, he was piss poor at seeming normal. "Fine," he sighed.

"Great!" Mia exclaimed, jumping up excitedly. "Alright, how about tomorrow after school, I'll go to your house, and I can start showing you some of my tricks?"

Gohan frowned awkwardly, before replying, "Yeah, sure."

"Ok," Mia smiled, a sincerely happy smile. "So, where do you live?"

"The Four Thirty-nine district, at the base of Mount Paozu."

Mia's face fell with a frown. "Please tell me I'm the only one at this school who knows this."

Gohan gave her a worried face and shook his head. "No, Erasa asked me earlier today …"

Mia pinched the bridge of her nose, something Gohan had seen Vegeta do once or twice when Bulma had said something off-putting. "Ok," she sighed, "ok, we can fix this."

Gohan laughed heartily. "What's wrong with where I live?"

Mia gave him a look he had seen Vegeta make towards him many times, as if they were asking him if he really just asked that with just an expression. It was also one he had seen his mother give his father many many times whenever Goku had asked if Gohan's education was really " _that important_." "Well," she started, "it's easily a five hour drive even if you are speeding. This is also given that there is no traffic when you are driving, which actually bumps your time up to six hours each way. That means if you are a normal student, you are waking up before two o'clock in the morning, granted it takes you thirty minutes or so to get dressed and ready, just to get here to school on time at eight. It also means that when school gets out, three thirty, you aren't getting home until around ten at night, given traffic. That leaves three hours total to eat dinner and breakfast, do your homework, and sleep. If you were a normal human being, you would either be visibly tired, or an insomniac, meaning you'd have _very_ visible bags under your eyes, which you _clearly_ do not. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Gohan frowned as he said, "In this too, I've failed at appearing normal."

Mia nodded. "Bingo." She paused, again tapping her chin with her finger as she thought. "Alright, the best we can do is say you're staying with a family friend in the city during school, and you go home on the weekends."

"So, lying," Gohan sighed with a slight scowl.

"Well, yeah," Mia scoffed. "How else did you think you'd survive high school?" Something buzzed and Mia tapped her pants' pocket, pulling out a cell phone. "That's my mom, I've gotta go." She looked up, away from her phone and pointed at him. "Keep your answers short and sweet until we get into the details of being normal tomorrow. The best lies have the least details to unravel." He watched her blankly as she kicked off the roof into flight, giving him a two-fingered salute before leaving.

Gohan let out a sigh he didn't know he'd been holding. Trying to be normal in high school with the Saiyan prince's daughter as a coach… this was going to be difficult.


	3. Chapter 2

AN: I know, the story just started, and it's already to chapter 2. Well, this is because my other big story, I got several readers by posting the first several chapters written (but not all) immediately. Currently, I'm somewhere 65 pages in in chapter 5 in this story. So trust me, there's more to come, but for now, the first couple of chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

Chapter 2

History

Gohan flew to Bulma's, the only thing he could think of doing after his talk with Mia. If he was going to help out Mia in introducing her to her father, Bulma at least deserved to know what was up. As he landed at Capsule Corp, he was greeted by a young purple haired boy. "Oh, hey Gohan! What's up?"

Gohan smiled and ruffled his hair. "Not much. I'm actually here to see your mom. Is she around?"

"Uh, yeah. She's on the upstairs balcony taking a break," Trunks stated, gesturing up to the house. "Dad's in the second gravity room because he broke the droids in the first room, and Mom has to fix them."

Gohan nodded and headed into the capsule mansion. He knew where trunks was talking about. Bulma would be in her apartment of the mansion, which had its own kitchen, sitting area, and bedrooms. It also wasn't far from the labs. As he neared the apartment door, he knocked, hearing Bulma call out, "It's open!" Gohan swung the door open to the living room, seeing the French doors opened to the balcony, where the blue-haired scientist smoked a cigarette. She turned around and smiled. "Hey there, Gohan. What brings you here? Your mom told me today was your first day of public school."

"Yeah," Gohan said, a blush coming to his cheeks as he smiled back nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I actually needed to talk to you about something."

"Oh, really?" Bulma smiled coyly as she sashed back into the living room, her cigarette held aloft. "Well, shoot," she offered, tapping her ash in the ash tray.

"Alright," Gohan sighed, getting ready to start his explanation, "so, I met this girl at school today…"

Bulma grinned. "A girl, huh? I'm guessing she's cute."

Gohan blushed. "W-well, I g-guess. But no, it's …"

"You want advice on how to talk to her?"

"N-no," he sputtered.

"Oh my. It's so cute you have a crush," Bulma laughed. "You need to tell me about her!"

"Bulma!" Gohan snapped, trying to pull her out of the tail spin.

She gave him a serious look as she took a drag of her cigarette. "What Gohan? Why are you so serious all of a sudden?"

"She knew I was a saiyan," Gohan started, trying to build up to the fact that Mia was Vegeta's daughter.

"Ah, Gohan," Bulma groaned, "what did you do?"

"No, Bulma, it's not like that," he defended, raising his hands. When she gave him a scowl demanding he explain himself, he let out a sigh. "Alright. I slipped up a little bit," he started, holding up his fingers to show just how little he slipped up. "There was a robbery going on just before school, and I thought if I transformed into a super saiyan, no one would recognize me. So I did, and when I got to school, everyone was talking about the Gold Fighter who stopped the robbery, me. But they didn't think it was me because my hair and eyes are black. But a couple people were suspicious. See, I mostly got away without suspicion, except my outfit gave me away."

"And, knowing you, you won't stop fighting crime. So you want a clever disguise, right?" Bulma assumed as she took another drag of her cigarette.

"No, that's not …" he paused as he thought. "Actually, yeah, that might not be a bad idea."

"Alright, come on. Let's get to work on it while there's still daylight," Bulma sighed, snuffing her cigarette out in the ash tray.

"Wait, Bulma, I wasn't finished."

Bulma frowned. "Lemme guess, this girl you met wants a special superhero costume, too?"

Gohan started to say no, but stopped short, uttering a, "Maybe." Bulma rolled her eyes as she spun on her heels, muttering, "Fine, Fine." Gohan jumped up to walk behind her. "I wasn't finished. See, most everyone else dismissed me because my looks didn't match the Gold Fighter's, except this girl Mia. She knew what a Super Saiyan was and deduced that I had to be one."

Bulma hit the button to her lab, the door opening with a loud beep. She shook her head incredulously. "That's impossible. No one outside of our circle knows what a Saiyan is," she laughed, waving her hand dismissively.

"Except for her," Gohan countered as Bulma sat down at her massive wall computer and began to work. "And here's how she knows, which is the kicker. She's a saiyan too."

Bulma stopped mid-type, and looked up at the young saiyan hybrid. "She's a what?"

"She's a _saiyan_ ," Gohan repeated, going slower to make sure Bulma didn't think she misheard.

"A female saiyan," Bulma frowned, her lips pursing together as she processed this. "Your age." Gohan nodded. Bulma shook her head. "Impossible. Planet Vegeta blew up not long after your dad was born. Only a few saiyans were off planet when it happened, all of them male."

Gohan shook his head. "I know how it sounds, but I know she wasn't lying," he replied, only to have Bulma roll her eyes again at him, and continue typing away. "She has a tail."

That stopped Bulma again, her eyes wide. "A tail?"

Gohan nodded. "A saiyan tail, no mistaking it. She keeps it hidden during the school day, but showed it to me to prove she was a saiyan."

Bulma nodded. "So that means there are more Saiyans who survived the blast that Vegeta doesn't know about. Probably a lot more."

Gohan winced, "Yes, and no." Bulma gave him a confused glare as he sighed. "She told me that her mother was one of the saiyans held captive by Frieza. When her mother found out about Mia, she went out on a mission to find my dad, but faked her death before landing. Mia was born on Earth, but they remained here as refugees."

Bulma blinked as she processed that story. She opened, then closed her mouth several times, like a fish out of water. When she finally gained the ability to speak again, she breathed, "She's Vegeta's daughter, isn't she?"

Gohan let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding back before saying a small, "Yes."

"And you're sure about that?" Bulma asked, a sharpness to her tone.

Gohan nodded. "She said she watched her father during the Cell Games. Only one of us ever there who fought and was a captive of Frieza was Vegeta. It makes sense."

Bulma shook her head. "No, Vegeta would have told me about her."

"He doesn't know," Gohan stated. "Her mom never told him."

"Still, he would have at least told me about her mom. We've had the exes talk," Bulma argued, rubbing her hands nervously on her legs.

Gohan frowned. "Maybe he didn't say anything because he thought she was dead," Gohan offered.

Bulma crossed her arms and pouted. "That's not a good enough reason not to tell me." She leaned back in her chair before shooting him a suspicious look. "Why are you telling me this?"

Gohan frowned. "She knows that Vegeta is her father, and that I know him. She wants to meet him."

Bulma scowled at him. "No."

"Why not?" Gohan asked.

"Because," Bulma sighed, "nothing good can come of it." Gohan's disappointed gaze remained on her as she continued to work on the superhero outfit. "Look, say we did introduce them to each other," Bulma started with a worried frown, "Vegeta isn't a very trusting guy. She could get her heart crushed if he doesn't believe her." Gohan opened his mouth to refute her, but she held a hand up, stopping him. "And say Vegeta does believe her. How would that work out? Would she want to live here with us?"

"I don't think so," Gohan muttered. "She lives with her mom now."

"That's another thing!" Bulma added exasperatedly. "This girl comes in, tells Vegeta she's his long lost daughter from a woman he's thought to be dead for almost nineteen years, and that her mom is actually still alive. Vegeta will be crushed knowing that his old flame knew he was on Earth, as you said they watched the Cell Games, but she never reached out to him to tell him the truth. Not to mention it's odd that she never did. If her mother wanted to, she could easily find Vegeta, but she hasn't. She probably has her reasons for not introducing their daughter to him. So, in short, no, don't do it."

Gohan held his disappointed frown before breathing, "Doesn't Mia have the right to at least know what her father is like?"

Bulma shook her head with a chuckle, her hands resting on the keyboard. "She must be really pretty if you're still asking after I said no."

Gohan blushed. "Yeah, a little. But that has nothing to do with it. Whether or not it works out as she's imagined, it's the right thing to do."

Bulma sighed, pressing her tongue into her cheek with a nod. "Fine. Bring her by sometime." Gohan jumped up excitedly, thanking her. "But I'm giving you both rules to follow."

Gohan nodded eagerly. "Sure. Whatever you say goes."

"Rule one, there is to be no mention that she is Vegeta's daughter. She gets to meet him, but he does not know, and leave it at that," Bulma started, holding her first finger up. Gohan agreed, urging her to continue. "Rule two, you call me when you plan to introduce her. I want to be here, and you know how Vegeta is when strange people come to the front door." Again, Gohan agreed. "Alright. If either of those rules are broken, you and I are going to have words."

Gohan laughed. "I promise, and I'll explain the situation to her tomorrow when I see her."

Bulma ran a hand through her short blue hair. "Ok, now that that's done, am I still making a suit for her?" Gohan pursed his lips, as he thought it over. Bulma shrugged. "Why not? If anything, maybe she'll think I'm not so horrible if I give her a gift. Do you have a picture of her?"

Gohan gave an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his head. "I just met her, so no."

"Well, that's alright," Bulma stated, pulling up the internet on one of the screens. "Orange Star High School," Bulma said as she typed it into the search bar. The school site came up, and Bulma moved the mouse over to student directory. "What's her last name?"

"Jicama," Gohan stated, "with a 'j', not an 'h'."

Bulma nodded as she scrolled down until she found "Jicama, Mia," in the directory with her picture next to it. Bulma stopped, her eyes gaining a sweet yet pitiful gaze to them. "She … looks so much like Vegeta."

Gohan chuckled, "Yeah, it was weird. I noticed she looked familiar, but I couldn't place it until she told me."

Bulma suddenly laughed with another realization. "That's another thing, how do you think Vegeta would feel knowing that you were crushing on his only daughter?"

Gohan frowned, trying to contain the blush coming to his cheeks. "I don't have a crush on her, Bulma."

Bulma stifled a laugh, biting her lip and waving a hand at him. " _Sure_ you don't." She ignored his glare as she muttered to herself, "Well, I need a full body photo for this to work … Perfect!" She found a link in Mia's contacts leading her to Mia's social media page. Bulma searched through her photos until she found one of her and who Gohan could only guess was her mom and maybe stepdad, smiling happily at the photo. The woman in the middle had short, curly black hair, and a tough expression in her black eyes that went together with her victorious smirk. There was a chain around her neck, dangling a Satan City Detective badge around her chest over her white shirt and leather jacket. She wasn't much taller than Mia standing next to her, maybe an inch or two. Mia was standing with her side facing the camera, her hand on her hip, showing off her waist, and wearing a flowery sundress with strappy sandal high heels. The man stood taller than both women. He had expressive brown eyes, and dark curly hair smoothed down with gel. His skin was a few shades darker than the two women next to him, giving him a dark look. His smile was charismatic, white and straight, framed by dark stubble along his jaw, cheeks, and lips. He was very muscular under his black t-shirt, showing off a long scar on the underside of his arm that was held up, pumping a fist in the air. He too had a Satan City Detective badge hanging around his neck along with what looked like Military dog tags.

Bulma downloaded her picture, cropping it and putting it into the database on the other screen. A window popped up, asking for her measurements, and Bulma turned to Gohan, "How tall is she?"

Gohan gestured to around his shoulders. "Five two, five three maybe."

Bulma nodded, and typed 5'2" into the bar asking for height. She hit enter, and the computer, using the photo began calculating her other measurements until it had a 3D graph of her measurments. As Bulma typed out codes for Mia's costume, she asked, "I thought you said she had a tail."

"She does," Gohan replied. "She hides it under her clothes, so she looks like a normal person at school."

Bulma nodded. "Smart. I'll put a hole in her suit for it though."

Bulma shifted her gaze back to the whole photo, looking at the woman in the middle. "I can see why Vegeta would like her. She's very pretty." Her gaze shifted over to the guy. "I wonder who he is though." Gohan shrugged in response. She clacked away the last of the codes, and a machine began to whirr to life. "Alright," she sighed, "give it twenty minutes and the suits should be ready."

* * *

"Mom, I'm home!" Mia called out as she walked into their small apartment they called home. "You'll never guess who I met today!" She stopped short seeing her mother and Rito standing in the living room, serious looks on their faces. "Hey, Uncle Rito. Whatcha doin' here?" Mia asked bouncily, walking over to him, dropping her backpack next to the sofa.

He pulled her into a hug, giving her a noogie on her head, mussing her hair on top of her head out of her braid. "Hey, Kiddo. How you doing?"

"I'm good," Mia laughed. She loved when Rito came over. He'd been her mom's partner at the precinct for the past ten years. He was like the crazy uncle Mia never had. He'd always been a bit of a flirt with most women, but he was super protective of Mia. She remembered one time a couple years back, he caught some guys cat-calling at her when they were out together, and he'd stormed over there threatening to beat some sense in them. "But what are you doing here?"

"Mia, sit down," Siyaka ordered, showing her a chair. Mia nodded obediently and sat down. Siyaka and Rito turned to her, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "The precinct wants me to go undercover into the Red Shark Gang. One of the perps from today's robbery has a connection in, and has offered to get me in for a plea deal."

Mia breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure what she was expecting with their serious faces, but her mom going undercover wasn't going to be too worrisome. Her mom could handle herself, being a saiyan among a gang of humans. It also wasn't the first time Siyaka had gone undercover. "Alright," Mia nodded. "When does it start?"

"Tomorrow," Siyaka stated. "I need to pack my bags tonight for the safe house, so I can go there once I've been briefed." She nodded to Rito sitting next to her. "Rito is going to stay here and take care of you until my cover is done."

Mia frowned. "Mom, I'm not a baby."

"I think it's mostly your mom doesn't want and ragers going on while she's away," Rito joked, a smirk on his face. He put a hand up as if parting Siyaka away from the conversation, "But if you want one, you need to help me clean up after, deal?" Mia laughed as Siyaka gave her partner a scowl. He gave her an innocent look as he said, "I'm kidding." When Siyaka turned around, Rito winked at Mia, making her giggle.

"What do you want for dinner? Chinese sound good?" Both Mia and Rito nodded in agreement. Siyaka grabbed her phone, taking it into another room to call the restaurant, leaving Mia and Rito in the living room.

"So, Mia, while you're at school, do you mind doing a favor for your Uncle Rito," he smiled.

Mia shrugged. "Sure, what do you need?"

Rito sighed. "I know your mom doesn't like bringing you into police business, but if you could do this, you'd be helping out another investigation."

Mia frowned. He was right about her mother being avidly against pulling her into police business. And Rito, who usually agreed with her mom, asking her for help meant they were at a complete loss and desperate. "What?"

"The Gold Fighter," Rito started, causing Mia's heart to skip a beat. "We need to bring him in, since he's an unvetted vigilante, which is illegal." Mia nodded, following along with him, but her heart in her throat. Here she was about to give away Gohan's identity to her mom and closest family friend who wanted to arrest him. Suddenly she was happy that her mom had serious news today that stopped her from revealing that. "The only lead we have is that he goes to Orange Star High School, since he was wearing the school badge," Rito gestured to the small badge Mia had hanging off her belt loop. "But his description didn't match anyone in the registry. So, if you could keep your eye out for a tall kid with almost white blond hair, blue-ish green eyes, and a tough guy personality, get his name and call me. That would help me close this case a lot."

Mia nodded numbly. "Yeah, sure," she muttered, her heart pounding.

"Oh!" Rito said excitedly. "You said you met someone interesting today. Who was it?" His eyes held a playful yet eager curiousity.

Mia blinked nervously before smiling awkwardly. "Oh, just some guy who thought he was a …" she paused, searching for a word. Anything but superhero. Anything but superhero. Unfortunately, that word was "… Lizard?"

Rito narrowed his eyes, a small smirk trying to hold back a laugh on his face. "Alright, Mia. Stay away from the crazies now, you hear?" Mia nodded awkwardly, returning her gaze back to the floor as her heart pounded. Rito grabbed the remote, clicking it on. "Let's see what the news says today, huh?" Rito grabbed an opened soda that had been sitting on the wooden coffee table. "You want a drink?" He offered.

Mia waved him off. "I can get it," she said as she got up, walking to the fridge to grab herself a soda, opening it and taking a sip.

" _Well, in bigger news today for Satan City, we seemed to have gained not one, but two superheroes in one day!_ _"_ the tv announced, causing Mia to spit out her drink.

"You alright?" Rito called back to her as she made her way back to the living room.

"Yeah," Mia muttered, "turn that up." Rito nodded, pressing volume on the remote.

" _The first superhero, deemed The Gold Fighter by most of the citizens who were witnesses, stopped a robbery in progress. The robbers were armed with machine guns, but that didn't stop the Gold Fighter, who seemed impervious to the bullets and then continued to total the robbers' getaway van by merely yelling at it ,_" the tv explained, causing Mia to shake. She had a feeling she knew exactly who was behind mask number two, just like she knew who was behind mask number one. " _The second superhero stopped a speeding car that had caused several accidents along route one twenty-one. One witness says he introduced himself as 'The Great Say-man' before flying off. Someone got pictures with their cellphone, and turned in the pictures to our news station._ " Two pictures flashed on the screen, showing a tall guy wearing a black skin suit under a green toga, held together by a black belt and adorned with a large red cape. Even though there was a tacky bright orange helmet on his head, Mia could see it was Gohan. What the Hell was he thinking? Mia snagged her backpack and walked back to her room, shaking her head as the newscasters joked and discussed Gohan's new superhero name. Oh, he was going to need a lot of help.

* * *

Gohan began to drop as he flew over Orange Star High School's roof, a smile on his face as he hit the button on his watch, causing his costume to digitally give way to his normal clothes. On the roof stood a short girl with black braided hair, her expression peeved. "Hey, Mia," Gohan grinned as he landed.

Before he could get out a "what do you think," Mia held up the paper and asked, "What the hell is this shit?" The paper she held was that day's Satan City Herald, which emblazoned a poorly taken photo of Gohan as the new hero "The Great Saiyaman" on the front page.

Gohan gave her a small pout. "It's my new superhero costume. Don't you like it?"

Mia blinked at him blankly before sputtering out, "It could use some help, but that's not the problem."

Gohan crossed his arms as he frowned at her. "What's the problem then? Being a superhero is a safe outlet for my power, while saving the city and not blowing my cover at school."

Mia put a hand to her forehead as she shook it. "That's not the point. You're right, aside from the fact that it's _illegal_."

Gohan's eyes went wide. "Illegal? Helping people is _illegal_?" he almost laughed. "That's absurd."

Mia sighed. "I didn't tell you yesterday, but my Mom is a Satan City detective. Yesterday, she was assigned to find and _arrest_ the Gold Fighter, because you're not a _vetted vigilante_." She paused as that sunk in. "That means technically, you're taking the law into your own hands, which _is_ illegal."

"That's so stupid," Gohan laughed, shaking his head. "Look," he added after a short pause, "I'm still going to help people. And I got you a costume too if you want to join me."

Mia gave him a confused look. "Y-you got me a costume?" she asked, taken aback.

Gohan nodded, giving her a watch. She held it in her hand, still confused. "It's digital. Just put it on and hit the red button." Mia did as he said, and her normal outfit was digitally transformed to a black bodysuit, with a red sleeveless dress, with white boots, gloves and a cape. The suit had a hole, allowing her tail to be out and free, which she wrapped around her waist. It also had a white helmet, which she found a little ridiculous. "Cool, huh?"

"You want me to join you?" she asked confused.

Gohan shrugged, "Well, yeah. I figured us saving the city together, we'll get to know each other a bit better. And you don't seem to have an outlet for your power, which I noticed yesterday was very bottled." Mia pursed her lips, but realized he was right about needing an outlet for her power. Sparring in the mountains with her mother every so often wasn't the best outlet. "So?" Gohan asked, "What do you think?"

She took off the helmet, smoothing down her hair and replying, "It could use a little help. Do you have a key?"

Gohan frowned, but nodded, reaching into his bag to grab his house key. She took it, cutting a hole along her chest, giving the suit a peek-a-boo neckline that her chest seemingly spilled out of as she breathed, and dropping the excess fabric on the ground. She pulled at her cape, taking it off one shoulder so it hung a little weird, and applying the key to it as well, ripping off a long piece of fabric as well. She pulled it up to her eyes, holding where she wanted to make eye slits for a mask with her fingers. She applied the key again, and once the slits were made, she tied the mask around her face with a smile. "Better," she said with a wink. "Now it just needs some stitching, and it will be perfect."

Gohan looked at the discarded white helmet with a golden heart at the top. "What about the helmet?"

Mia shrugged, picking it up and chucking it off the roof. "A female biker is about to be very happy." She hit the red button on her watch again, and she was back in her normal clothes. "Now, what's your first class?"

Gohan frowned as he thought. "Uhm, History, I think."

Mia grinned. "Great! We can sit together," she said as she began to walk inside. When Gohan didn't move, she looked back, her hand on the door holding it open. "Are you coming? We better hurry if we're going to be on time." Gohan nodded, catching up.

* * *

Siyaka sat in the safe house waiting for Ricky from the robbery to show up with his contingent. Kami, she hated working with criminals, but sometimes it was a necessary evil to get the job done. If she had it her way, she'd go into the Red Shark stronghold, energy blasts blazing. But the authorities tended to frown on things of that nature, completely obliterating the weaklings who acted strong behind their worthless guns and bullets. That was something she had difficulty learning once she started the job on the police force. Using a gun to stop criminals rather than beating them down, because if she used her fists, it was considered brutality, and she'd be without a paycheck.

It was oddities like that that made her miss the old days. She didn't miss being forced to kill under the name of the space tyrant, Frieza. Just the ability to use her fists against people who could take a hit. If someone was insubordinate, just knock them down a few pegs with a good spar. She never missed how the saiyans were treated under Frieza's thumb. Who liked being bullied and reminded how alone one is in the universe on a regular basis? Answer, no one. But her team, Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta. They were good together. She missed the jokes passed between them around the campfire after a successful siege. She missed their company. She missed their companionship.

Her heart sank as she thought. _Vegeta_. She always missed him the most. Their relationship had always been complicated, even when he knew she was alive. When they started out as children, just knowing she was his betrothed and he hated her anyway, that was the easiest their relationship had ever been. But when they actually grew romantically toward each other, everything flipped. Between acting like they hated each other for Frieza's men and the passionate moments they'd share when they were alone and away from all the watchful eyes, it was sometimes difficult figuring out which face of Vegeta's was the true him. She always knew Vegeta had loved her in his own way, but he only allowed himself to show it in those moments when they were completely alone, between the kisses and touches. When their minds were connected in the most intimate way a Saiyan could experience, where mentally, they became one person. His love was her love, his ecstacy was her ecstacy, and every feeling between them, every thought had blended into one mind. Those moments, those little rebellions against Frieza's rule, were the only times he'd tell her he did love her. Had it really been almost eighteen years since their last moment? She could remember it like it was yesterday, yet at the same time, it felt as if it had been ages.

And now, they were free from all of that, yet he'd always be just out of her reach. There was a part of her that was sure their romance was doomed forever, and that thought always broke her heart a little.

"You're thinking about him again?" Rito asked from the sofa next to her. She shot him a frown as if she was confused by what he said. "Don't deny it," he laughed through his perfectly white smile, "you always get that dazed look when you think about Mia's father." Siyaka sighed and looked at the floor. "Seriously, what happened between you two? I know it was a rocky ending, because otherwise Mia would have met him by now, and you would be out of love with the guy."

"I'm not in love…"

"Stop lying," Rito laughed again. "That dazed look on your face is enough to tell me otherwise."

Siyaka pursed her lips. "It's complicated," she replied finally.

Rito shot her a disappointed frown. "You always say that. It doesn't have to be complicated, you know."

Siyaka shook her head as she added, "I never told him about Mia, and when I left, he definitely wasn't the fatherly type."

"Well," Rito scoffed, "I wouldn't necessarily call you the motherly type either." She scowled at him, and he raised his hands. "But you're a good mother to Mia. Why don't you think he'd be the same with her?"

"It's not that…" she stopped. He was right. She didn't think Vegeta would be a good father to Mia. It just wasn't in him. But how did she explain that to her partner and best friend without making Vegeta out to be some horrible person who didn't care what happened to his own loved ones. He did, but just like his relationship was with Siyaka, she knew a paternal relationship between Vegeta and Mia would be just as complicated and strange. If anything, Siyaka knew if Mia met him, she'd be disappointed, and Siyaka couldn't bear that thought.

Siyaka sighed as she began to explain Mia's father the best way she could without telling him about aliens and intergalactic wars. It wasn't the first time Rito had asked about him, but it was the first time he asked about Mia with him. "When Mia's father and I got together, it was a forbidden romance. It was fiery, passionate, and solid, but at the same time it was rocky and unsure. We had to pretend to hate each other in public," she replied, picking at a splinter in the worn down rocking chair she sat in. "But in private, we could be honest with each other. It wasn't often, but it was enough. So, when I found out I was pregnant, I had to leave. I know when I left, I left him heartbroken, but it was the best chance for Mia. The first chance I saw him after having her, I tried to get to him and show him his daughter. Mia was around five, so she wouldn't have built him up so much in her mind. But I was too late, and he was gone.

"Then I had a second chance another five or six years later. I called him and got his wife instead. I could hear their baby crying over the phone." Rito's face fell. She'd never told him about the other woman. She licked her lips as she continued, "He's happy without me, so interjecting myself into his life just seems wrong. Now Mia, maybe it would be different, but I feel if she met him and his new wife and her little half-sibling, and saw how happy he was without ever knowing about her, she'd be devastated."

Rito nodded. "So, you're just protecting her?" Siyaka didn't reply, but just chewed the inside of her cheek. Rito laughed. "I guess you're right. It's complicated."

Siyaka laughed. "I told you."

Rito pursed his lips, "What would happen if she met him one day, anyway?"

Siyaka grinned sardonically as she breathed, "Don't say things like that. I couldn't handle that kind of complication in my life."

"Yeah, because having a single mother going undercover in the mafia is the type of stable and _uncomplicated_ household a teenager should be raised in," Rito joked with an impish grin. Siyaka gave him a small punch on his shoulder, causing Rito to wince.

The door swung open with a loud bang and in walked two other police officers in street clothes like Rito and Siyaka were. Between them was the criminal Ricky from the day before. "Sorry we're late," one of the officers said grumpily. "Someone had difficulty locating Ricky's effects in lock-up."

"It's alright," Rito sighed. "You're here. Now, what's the plan?"

"Sure," Ricky stated, then held up his cuffed hands, "but can I get out of these first?" Siyaka gestured to the other officers, who complied and unlocked Ricky from his confines. "Geesh," he groused, rubbing the feeling back into his wrists. "I used my one call to tell the Red Sharks that I was in jail, and that I met a promising recruit in the lock-up."

Rito's eyes bugged. "You told them you were in jail last night!?" he almost shrieked. "Are you trying to sabotage the mission?"

Ricky frowned at the Latino detective. "Well, they knew I was arrested, so I told them I was being held for a minor robbery charge. Bail was minimal thanks to this charade, so they didn't question me. And most of our new recruits are fresh from jail since most _respectable_ businesses don't hire the recently convicted," Ricky explained. He turned to Siyaka and added, "I told them you'd be released at noon. And they agreed to an interview tonight." When they were silent as he looked at the officers with expectant faces, he asked, "I don't get a thank you, nothin'?"

"Thank you, Ricky," Siyaka sighed, "I know you're risking a lot."

"Pfft. That's an understatement," he scoffed. "This falls through, it's my head. I just became a fuckin' rat for you guys. Do you know what happens to rats caught by the sharks?" When they stayed silent, he added, "You don't want to know."

Siyaka pursed her lips before asking, "Alright, after the interview, what then?"

"Well," Ricky started, "since you're an unknown, you'll likely be a package kid."

"Package kid?" Siyaka frowned. "I'm not even an officer?"

"Hey, you gotta earn that rank. I don't make the rules," Ricky replied, holding up a hand in surrender. Siyaka shot a glare to her partner who shrugged. "Look," Ricky offered, "package kids are ignored, meaning you can hear a lot if you listen. Maybe in a few months, you'll have what you need."

Siyaka's glare deepened as she looked at Rito. "Well," she breathed, "I had hoped to see my daughter's graduation, but I guess I'll be missing that."

"Are you saying you aren't up for this?" Ricky snapped, worry growing all over his face.

"No," Rito replied, glaring back at Siyaka. "Look, you'll be done by then. I'll be sure you're out by then, I promise. But what's more important?"

"Fine," Siyaka groaned through her scowl. "I'm up for this. What's my story?"

The other officers stepped forward handing her a file, her file, full of false documentation. "You were in jail for grand theft auto," the officer said as she opened the file and looked at the false paperwork. Her mugshots, identification, criminal record. "Your second time caught for GTA, but you've been in and out of the system for decades."

"Great," she sighed, shutting the file. "What else?"

The other cop handed her a bag. "In there is your weapon, burner cell, and wallet, which has your new license and credit cards by the department."

"Don't go crazy on your spending," Rito joked.

Siyaka half smirked, half pouted, as she joked back, "Aw, I was hoping to buy some new shoes." She slid the wallet in her back pocket and the cellphone in her front pocket. She began to slip the gun in her belt on her back when Ricky stopped her.

"Hold on sweetie," he laughed.

She glared at him. "I'm no one's sweetie."

He raised his hands again in surrender before licking his lips nervously and stating, "The piece stays here until the other sharks are comfortable with you carrying one. Alright?" She frowned, but complied, holding the gun up for him to see and placing it on the side table.

"Don't worry," Rito affirmed. "I'll come by occasionally and check in."

Siyaka nodded shakily. "Keep her safe."

Rito smirked back with a small scoff. "You know I will." He grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze goodbye. With that, he gestured to the other officers, who nodded and followed him out.

Ricky smiled after the policemen. "Good. Now we just wait for tonight."


	4. Chapter 3

AN: Hi again. I hope ya'll have been enjoying the story so far. Here is the newest chapter. I should add, if you didn't see my profile ad like my writing, I have a book published on Amazon. It's called Midnight Over Moores, available in ebook and paperback, whichever you prefer. Please check it out if you're so inclined.

Egohan: Thanks, I hope this stays up to your standard of fanfiction. I'm also planning on going a little darker in the dbz universe, ie showing the darkside of humanity a little more as well as making some villains to show up a little more sinister. So hopefully that's a plus. On top of that, I'm tying in Xenoverse a little bit, if the beginning of the prologue is any indication. But I'm not doing it the way I've seen many FF on here do. Anyway, I hope you keep enjoying!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

Chapter 3:

Saiyagirl

"Hey, did you hear about that new superhero in Satan City?" one of the students asked in front of Gohan and Mia during class.

"Yeah. They call him the Great Singing-Man," the other student responded laughing.

"Saiyaman!" Gohan snapped, glaring down at his classmates. Mia elbowed him in the ribs, shooting him a look. "Ow, what was that for?" he whispered to the other saiyan.

"What the hell is a Saiyaman?" the other student scoffed back at Gohan who scowled back.

"He's the new superhero," Gohan responded, gaining another elbow from Mia. "What?" he whispered to her, only getting another angry look from her he couldn't discern.

"Oh, and how would you know? Don't you live like five hundred miles away," the first student laughed.

"I-I was there," Gohan replied taken aback by their disbelief. Why would he lie about his alter-ego's name?

"Bullshit," the second student laughed.

"He lives here during the week," Mia interrupted before Gohan could say anything. Gohan and the other students shot her a confused look. "You stay with a family friend during the week who lives in the city, and go home on the weekends, right Gohan?" Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out as he looked at Mia. She frowned as she continued to lie, "Your family friend is one of my neighbors. You told me about it yesterday after school when we walked home." Gohan continued to frown at her confused, and Mia touched her elbow to his. _Just go along with it._ "You told me his name was Krillin," she said as she searched his mind for a familiar feeling name.

 _Wha- how are you doing that?_ Gohan thought, his shock showing in his eyes.

 _All Saiyans can read other's minds if they are touching and the psychic link is opened,_ she explained psychically.

"Y-yeah," Gohan muttered awkwardly. "He's an old school friend of my Dad's."

"Oh," the other students replied, pleasantly surprised. "So, what was Saiyaman like?" one of them asked excitedly.

"Excuse me!" the teacher barked. "Is this something the whole class should be discussing?" Gohan and the other students returned to their books nervously, averting the angry gaze coming from the elderly teacher. "That's what I thought. Now let's return to the Red Ribbon Conflict, shall we?"

Mia grabbed Gohan's hand as the teacher returned to the lesson, causing Gohan to flinch from the shock. _You really suck at this lying low thing,_ she laughed in his mind as he calmed to her touch.

 _That's not fair,_ he grimaced. _You've been at this a lot longer than I have._

 _That's no excuse. Some of it is just common sense,_ she replied. _Your heart's beating fast_ , she noted.

He blushed. _Well, I've never had a girl hold my hand before … Crap, you heard that didn't you?_

Mia smiled. _Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean for you to hear me noting your heartbeat either,_ she explained with a small blush. _That's the problem with psychic communication. Anything and everything going through your mind at the moment is public to whoever is touching you with the communication open. Even offhand comments that aren't even a part of the conversation. It's not a normal mode of conversation between Saiyans since it's so personal. Usually just mates._

 _Mates?_ he asked, a frown appearing on his face.

Suddenly, he was inundated with mental images of couples kissing and caressing each other as Mia thought, _Sexual Partners, mates._ Both began to blush, but Mia continued to hold his hand. He caught a short thought of hers, _He's cute when he blushes._

 _Am not!_ he replied as he saw barely visible pictures of them kissing each other, and he wasn't sure which mind it was from to be honest.

 _Sorry,_ she replied quickly. _Back on topic._ Suddenly, the images began fading and they were back to a calm mind. _I'm communicating like this because there's no trace of what's been said, just our memories. It's weird at first, I know, but you'll get used to it._

 _I don't think I'll get used to it,_ he said as her felt a nervous flood of everything he hadn't told her, how he thought Vegeta was bit of an asshole to be honest, and he didn't understand how Mia could be his daughter.

 _You can tell me about my father later,_ she replied, but he could feel a slight disappointment go through the back of her mind. _Right now, we need to damage control everything you might have said yesterday that could make you stand out negatively, and how to handle the alter ego thing._

 _What do you mean?_

 _Well,_ she started, _a couple kids just got your name wrong, and you pitched a hissy._

 _I did not pitch a hissy … what's a hissy?_

 _Short for hissyfit. Means you got angry over nothing._

 _I put a lot of thought into that name._

 _And that's what you got?_ _Saiyaman_ _?_

Gohan scowled at her. _Yes. What? You have a better name?_

 _Well, if I was naming myself, I'd chose a name that has some sort of meaning. Like Lady Justice or something. But no one knows what a Saiyan is, which is where I'm guessing you got the name._

 _Maybe._

 _See, you're already getting the hang of it._

 _Well, that's one thing._

 _Don't be hard on yourself,_ she chided. She let go of his hand as the bell rang, shutting her notebook and putting it in her back pack.

"Alright class, homework is the work problems on page one hundred ninety-three. See you all on Thursday," the teacher called out as students began rushing out.

"That was really weird," Gohan stated.

Mia shrugged, "It always is. But your dad must have shown that trick to you." Gohan shook his head, which caused Mia to frown as she flipped her braid over her shoulder. "Well, if we stay focused, it won't be _weird_." Gohan knew she was talking about personal feelings, like the ones that had sidetracked their conversation during class.

"What's your next class?" Gohan asked, tapping his finger on his book nervously.

"Choir," Mia replied, holding up a hand when she saw Gohan's eyebrows shoot up in interest. "I know. Lame. But I suck at art, and choir is an easy A if you don't get caught not singing. What about you?"

Gohan frowned. "Uhm, Shop, which I'm not sure what that is…" he trailed off awkwardly.

"You're making stuff with wood," Mia laughed. "Don't cut off a thumb."

Gohan's eyes widened nervously. "Is that possible?"

Mia eyed him strangely before replying, "Yeah, you know band-saws. How else would you cut the wood if you were a normal person?" Gohan let out a nervous laugh as he looked down the hallway towards his class. "Oh, you'll do fine," Mia smiled, giving him a light punch on the shoulder, before spinning on her heel and going to her next class.

* * *

Bulma stood at a work table in her lab, piecing the broken laser drones back together after her husband's vigorous workout a couple days ago. Her mind kept drifting back to the news Gohan told her the evening before about Vegeta having a daughter. She knew in her gut that even if they didn't tell Vegeta that Mia was his, he'd find out, eventually. It drove her a little crazy with worry, which again drove her into her work.

 _But Mia's mother was his first love_ , she realized as she tightened a bolt into a newly finished bot, setting it aside with a sigh. _I know he loves me, but what if his love for her is stronger? He only moved on from her because he thought she was dead._

Oh, it was driving her insane. _Why didn't he tell me about her? Why keep that from me?_ He had opened up to her over the years of them being together and raising Trunks. She knew everything about his time under Frieza. The torture the Frost alien put him under for just being a Saiyan. The missions he led his team on. How he grew up the strongest of his team, and finding Goku, a Saiyan stronger than him, had actually given him a goal to push for. And how devastated he was when Goku died fighting Cell, and refused to come back, leaving Vegeta without anything to work toward or look forward to. She knew his deepest feelings, at least she thought. And he definitely knew hers. He knew how she found Goku, what her first wish with the dragon balls was going to be before Oolong asked for underwear. He knew about everything that happened between her and Yamcha, how devastated she was when he died, even though they were in the middle of a fight at the time. He knew about her sister, and their strained relationship, who no one else in their group knew about. He knew _everything_ about her. And now she was realizing that she didn't know everything about him.

It made her heart ache knowing he wouldn't tell her something so intimate as a previous love who had died when he was twenty-three. Did it mean he didn't trust her with that information? Did it mean that he still loved her, and wanted to protect her memory and himself by not telling Bulma? Was he heartbroken when she left, and he didn't want her to know that he could ever be that vulnerable? Did that mean that he would go back to her if she told him she was alive?

This wasn't something she could just ask him about either. The woman was supposed to be dead long before Vegeta came to Earth or even met Bulma. He didn't even know he had a daughter. If she just up and asked him why she never heard of his first love, she'd have to confess everything Gohan told her, which would probably push him away.

Bulma wasn't usually afraid of losing Vegeta to any another woman. But an old flame whom he never told her about, her mind just couldn't settle if she could trust him not to go back to her.

A thought came through her head, remembering a conversation they had four years ago about kids. They talked about maybe giving Trunks a sibling, but not until he was older. Maybe now was the time. If they had another kid on the way, maybe he'd have more incentive to stay than explore the possibility of a life with his first love.

With a sigh, she set down her wrench and took off her work gloves and made her way out of the lab. It was almost lunch time, so she made her way to the dining hall, where the chefs had prepared a buffet for the Brief Family and the Capsule Corp workers. She'd see Vegeta there soon and Trunks was out at the Son household playing with Goten, so it was a prime time to ask him. There wasn't a line when she walked in, so she went ahead and grabbed a grilled chicken salad, and poured a lite vinaigrette on top before grabbing a fork and a bottle of water. She made her way to her and Vegeta's usual table, settling in and digging into her salad.

As she expected, ten minutes later, Vegeta made his way to their table with a tray full of food, mostly meat, noodles, and rice. He plopped down next to her and started digging into his food, not paying much attention to her. He was still in his work out gear spandex, and reeked of sweat. Bulma eyed her husband in disgust as he shoveled food into his mouth as if this was the first time he'd eaten in days. He snarfed and grunted through his food, which while gross, made Bulma laugh a little.

Vegeta looked up at her with a surprised frown as she held a hand in front of her smiling mouth. "I'm sorry," she laughed, waving her free hand, "you're moaning and grunting into your food again." He scowled at her before turning back to his food, chowing down on a chicken drumstick. Bulma breathed in nervously before stopping him again, "Vegeta, I wanted to talk to you about something." He nodded, telling her he was listening. "I want another baby."

Vegeta's eyes went wide as he started hacking and gagging on a piece of chicken that went down the wrong way. He paused, swallowing the chicken correctly, and gained his composure again before looking at his wife. "What?"

"A baby," Bulma repeated. "I want another baby. I think we're ready."

Vegeta blinked at her before grabbing his water and taking a sip. He swallowed and asked, "What happened to 'Not until Trunks is older?'"

"He is older," Bulma argued. "He's eight now, and could probably enjoy a younger sibling now." When Vegeta didn't say anything, but continued to shovel food in his face, she continued, "And I'm …" she paused, leaning in close to Vegeta so no one else could hear, "I'm forty-two. If we wait too long, we might lose our chance."

Vegeta frowned at her as if she were being absurd. "Lose our chance? What are you talking about?"

Bulma blushed as she said, still in a whisper, "Menopause. When women lose their ability to … to have kids."

"I know what menopause is," Vegeta laughed, rolling his eyes. "Just forty-two is a bit young for menopause."

Bulma shook her head incredulously. "Not in humans. A lot of women start in their early forties," Bulma explained, her voice still hushed. "I haven't started yet, but I want to make sure we have at least one more kid before nature tells us we were too late."

Vegeta nodded as he finished another piece of chicken. "Alright," he said as he moved onto a bowl of noodles.

Bulma squealed excitedly as she jumped up, hugging Vegeta around his shoulders as he polished off the bowl of noodles. She felt Vegeta's hand grasp her wrist as he put the bowl down and stood up, pulling her away from the table. "Ve-Vegeta," Bulma gasped as he pulled her away from the table. "What are you doing?"

Vegeta gave her a confused glare as he said, "You want another kid, right?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then let's go," Vegeta stated, still pulling her along.

* * *

Mia stood in her next class, singing along with the rest of the first sopranos as they reached the high note of the music section for the fifth time in a row. Mia had lied when she told Gohan that she didn't really sing in class. She actually did. In fact she was one of the better singers in the school choir according to the class conductor. It was actually one of her favorite classes in school, other than genetics and literature. But it was also a talent she liked to keep hidden. Not even her mother knew about it. She knew if her mother or Rito knew, she'd never hear the end of it, especially with her mother and her supposed to be battle-hungry Saiyans. Singing was such a passive hobby.

So, when Gohan asked, she spazzed and lied in hopes that he wouldn't judge her. But she couldn't get it out of her head. She should have just told him, "Yeah, I'm a good singer. So what?" and left it at that. But no, she had to tell him it was an easy grade.

"No! Stop!" the conductor yelled. He turned pointedly to the soprano section. "Firsts, what the Hell is going on?! You are coming in flat on the G Sharp, making the note change to the next note, the high A flat as well. Then it's causing the octave jump down to go flat. Fix it. Remember raise your eyebrows and feel the high note coming out the middle of your forehead. If you need help, put your finger on your forehead while you sing. Now, again."

They tried the section again, and again they were stopped. "No. Remember, give a small break between each note. This is choir, not individual solos. I want to hear slight staccato, no legato. Understand?" The conductor started again.

Mia saw some movement outside the window in the door, seeing Gohan standing there, with a finger pointed to his watch. He had an excited expression on her face, which told Mia that there was crime afoot in Satan City.

"No, no NO! Clearly, you all need an example," the conductor looked around the classroom before his eyes settled on Mia looking away from her music towards the door. "Is there somewhere you need to be, Miss Jicama?"

Mia's eyes bugged as she turned back to the conductor, before she shook her head and muttered, "I just need to use the restroom."

The conductor smiled. "Well, why don't you sing this part for the class, and if you sing it correctly, you can run to the ladies' room."

Mia nodded, and held her music up as he started the music up again, and she sang, " _La-acrimosa. Dies ila. Qua … re-sur-get … ex … fa-vil-la … Ju-di-can-dus … Ho-mo … re-us_." She stopped as she looked at the conductor who was beaming.

He gave her a small clap, "Brava, Mia. And Ladies, that's how that part is supposed to sound!" He nudged his head towards the door and said, "Mia, you're excused."

"Thank you," she said quickly, dropping her folder on the chair and rushing out the door only to see a smirking Gohan. "What?"

"So it's only an easy A because you _can_ sing," Gohan chuckled.

Mia rolled her eyes and turned towards the corridor for the side exit of the school. "Shut up," she sighed, slightly annoyed, and slightly embarrassed. "What's going on?"

"Hijacked bus," Gohan said excitedly, forgetting the singing. "Videl is already almost over there, so we need to hurry. It doesn't sound good."

" _Great,_ " Mia groused as she hit the button on her watch before jumping into the air, "Videl."

Gohan followed closely behind her, before speeding off in the direction Videl's radio said the bus was heading, Mia following closely behind. "So, that was Latin, right?"

"What was?" Mia asked, confused by his question.

"The song you sang. It was in Latin, right?" Gohan asked again. "It sounded like Latin."

Mia blinked at him. "You know Latin?"

Gohan shook his head. "I know a few terms, but mostly just scientific. What was it?"

" _Lacrimosa_ by Mozart," Mia answered. "It's from his requiem."

Gohan raised an eyebrow out of curiosity before asking, "So, what did it mean?"

Mia sighed. "Well, it's a good thing the translation is on the music, because if I hadn't just looked at it fifty times in a row, I would not be able to answer that," Mia laughed. When Gohan remained silent, she answered, "It means, 'That day of tears and mourning, when from the ashes shall arise, all humanity to be judged,' … roughly translated, though. It's about asking God for mercy when judgement day arrives." When the silence hung between them, she added, "But why don't we talk about more pleasant things. Like this hijacking. Do they know how many hijackers?"

"Three," Gohan answered, "all armed with machine guns."

"As usual," Mia sighed with a small hint of a laugh.

"I still can't believe that a Saiyan can sing," Gohan chuckled. "Especially one related to Vegeta."

Mia shot Gohan a curious look. "What do you mean by that?"

Gohan shrugged. "Well, every Saiyan I've met other than you are completely battle driven. Singing doesn't fit that mold. And, well, let's just say Vegeta's voice is _not_ conducive to holding pitch. It's a little too raspy."

Mia blushed as she looked at the ground. "Well, maybe I'm just different, ok?" she asked, her embarrassment and dejectedness coming through her tone.

Gohan looked at her with a surprised expression. "No, I didn't mean any offense. Just …" he paused, searching for the right words, but gave up, his shoulders dropping as he sighed, "I don't know."

"Down there!" Mia called out. Gohan looked up and she gestured to the bus that just decided to off-road its tour, heading at break neck speeds towards a cliff.

"Oh shit," Gohan breathed. He zoomed down, lining up with the windows on the bus seeing the hijackers were tied up, and Videl had control of the bus. And clearly, she had no idea how to drive it. He looked up to see Mia flying above the bus waiting for an order. "We need to stop the bus," he stated, gesturing towards the front of the bus. Mia nodded, and they flew to the front, placing their hands on the bus to slow it. With a groan, the bus slowed, inching over the edge of the cliff as Gohan and Mia lost their ground, forcing Gohan to go under the bus and push it up from the bottom. They could hear the elderly riders screaming in terror as the bus lurched forward as the front bus wheel dropped out.

Gohan groaned as he began to push the bus back up. "Hey," he called out, "push it back onto the land." Mia nodded, following his direction and pushing the bus back on top of the cliff edge, backing it away from the edge a couple feet before Gohan maneuvered out from underneath it, letting it find solid ground once again. Gohan shot Mia a smile and a thumbs up before saying, "We make a good team." Mia rolled her eyes and shook her head, but Gohan could see the smile on her face was genuine. His praise made Mia feel a little giddy. It was the first time she ever felt like she was included in something, not on the outside looking in. She could see him laughing lightly and that's when she realized that strange fluttering in her heart forcing a grin on her lips. _Oh no_. She _liked_ him.

She shook her head free of those thoughts as they walked to the door of the bus, opening it up and letting the elderly out, and assisting Videl in bringing the hijackers out into the field.

Videl eyed both Gohan and Mia strangely, and in her eyes, Mia could see she was impressed. "That was amazing what you did out there," Videl stated, standing squarely in front of them. "Now, who are you?"

Gohan smiled before jumping through a few poses that made Mia's eyes go wide at the ridiculousness. "We are the light in the darkness when the world cries out for Justice," he announced in a strange voice. He posed in a crouch, holding his arms in an "M" shape over his head as he finished, "I am Saiyaman!"

Mia's heart pounded as she realized she'd have to be just as ridiculous as him. They were a _team_ after all. She did an awkward ballerina spin before jumping in an estranged plie. She did one last kick spin before leaning an elbow on Gohan's helmet, stretching back, and propping her right foot up on his leg as she held out a hand shaped in a gun towards Videl. "And I am Saiyagirl!" she announced in an overtly girly voice.

Videl's eyes bugged at the two of them, her mouth agape as her left eye twitched at the scene before her. "What the hell?" she whispered to herself as she stared.

"Well," Gohan started in his strange voice again, straightening up, allowing Mia to do the same, "we must be off. Thank you for your assistance Videl." With that, he jumped into the air, Mia following suit.

As they flew back to school, Gohan eyed Mia, seeing her in a different light. "So, you chose Saiyagirl as your superhero name?"

Mia blushed lightly with a shrug. "Yeah, it just made sense."

He smirked as he asked, "Why?"

She shot him a look that was a mix between proud and hopeful. "You said we were a team. I figured I should stick to the team name."

He smiled back. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Mia replied. She paused for a second before a playful smile graced her lips as she added, "Now we need to figure out something with your poses, because I can't dance like a bad ballerina every time we save the day."

* * *

The beeper on Ricky's watch went off, earning an exasperated, "Finally!" from Siyaka. She jumped from her seat as Ricky slowly rose. "So, where are we going?"

Ricky didn't look at her as he answered in a bored tone, "There is a Russian pub not far from here that some of the gang like to meet up at. They'll interview you there." He walked to the door, gesturing her to follow. "My rental car is here, since that Gold Fighter totaled mine. So I'll drive us." Siyaka nodded, following him out to the street, and climbing into the Chrysler sedan on the curb.

As he got into the car, putting his hands one the wheel, she heard him let out a calming breath before cranking it up. She could tell his bored façade was just a cover for some serious nerves. She understood. She was a little nervous too. They were infiltrating the Red Shark Gang, the mafia of Satan City. If this got screwed up, their heads were definitely on the chopping block. It was enough to make even the bravest man nervous.

She made sure to memorize the streets to where he was driving her, in case she had to find the place without him. Eventually, they pulled up in front of a restaurant where Ricky threw the car into park and got out. Siyaka followed behind closely as he walked into the restaurant. Ricky led her to a table where a group of fat men sat laughing over cigars and brandy. There were a few buff thugs standing off to the side, watching the group carefully in case of any problems. Ricky stepped up to the table with a friendly smile, "Hey guys. What's happenin'?"

The men looked up at Ricky, then over to Siyaka, each one looking her up and down appreciatively. "You bringin' this hot piece of tail here, that's what," one guy laughed, winking at Siyaka. Her spine went a little rigid at that. "Seriously, this chick is your recommendation for an errand boy?"

Ricky nodded. "Yeah, why not? She's resourceful, and been in the slammer a few times. She's looking for a job and willing," he explained, taking a seat at the table. "All she needs is initiation and assigning."

One of the guys sitting next to Ricky, sleazy looking, bald with gold rings on his fat fingers gave her a flirty look as he rubbed his fingers together. "Well, she's definitely a looker, and any initiation for a piece like that is fuckin' one of us." Ricky looked down nervously. "I nominate myself," the sleazy guy smirked, moving his hand to cup Siyaka's butt cheek. Faster than they could see, she snatched his hand, twisting his arm around his back, and slamming him down on the table by pinning his shoulder down, almost dislocating it.

"Sorry," Siyaka hissed, "I'm not a whore." The guy grunted under the pressure of her grip. She squeezed his arm, causing him to gasp. "Touch my ass again, and you'll be making a surprise trip to the ER. Got it?" Some of the men laughed around the table as the guy in her grasp cried out, begging her to release him.

One of the others at the table waved over to the thugs on the side, one coming over and leaning in to listen to the man. Once he was finished conveying whatever he needed to tell the thug, he dismissed him, turning to Siyaka. "Let him go, Girl. I've got a better plan for you," he sighed. Siyaka looked up to him. Something about his slicked back hair, his rings, and superior and bored expression told her that this man was in charge. A small, intelligent smile came across his face as he shifted his gaze to Ricky. "You sure have an eye for talent, Ricky." He turned back to Siyaka, who eyed him curiously. "You are far from an errand boy. No, no, you're a bruiser, through and through. Come with me," he ordered, gesturing her to follow him. She did as he asked, followed out by Ricky and the rest of the group.

The leader took them out through the kitchen to an alleyway in the back. "Since you're a bruiser, you have two tests," he announced. He gestured to the thug he talked to before. "The first is you have to withstand a fight with Vladek here for one minute." Siyaka nodded in understanding. "Are you ready to start?"

"Yes, sir," she answered with a small nod.

The man nodded before jerking his head to the middle of the alleyway. "Begin."

Siyaka fell into a fighting stance on one end of the alley while the bulky Vladek stood opposite her. He then charged her with a fist raised high, and swung. Siyaka easily dodged his bulky fist, dancing around his attacks. Again, he threw punch after punch, and she dodged each one. After several seconds of dancing around his punches and kicks, she caught one of his punches in her hand. She smirked as she said, "My turn." She knew she had to hold back her strength in her punch, but it had been so long since she had gotten to actually throw a punch. She swung her fist around, making contact with Vladek's big nose. The cartilage and bone cracked under the pressure, causing him to step back, holding his bloody and broken nose. He grunted as he snapped it back in place, the blood dribbling from his nostrils into his mouth. But his action caused him to miss her dropping to the ground, sweeping her leg around to knock his legs out from under him, toppling him to the ground with a loud "Ooof!" She stood up, putting her foot on his chest and leaning on her raised knee with a smile. "Looks like I lasted a minute." Vladek tried to sit up and push her off, but she used her leverage in her foot to slam him back down again. "Take defeat like a man, Vladek."

She looked up when she heard clapping from the sidelines. The leader stepped forward, his hands outstretched applauding her. His lackeys behind him, including Ricky began to applaud her. "Wow," the leader stated. "You got skill. That much is clear."

Siyaka sighed, "Yeah, well, a girl has to learn how to fight on the streets."

The leader let out a bark of a laugh, before letting out a sigh. "Well, you passed the first test, so I'll introduce myself. My name is Louis Rigby, and I run this operation. I know you've met Ricky, and Flirty Frank," he said as he gesture over to the guy who had attempted to grope her before. Siyaka shot him a terse smile. "This is Sal, my brother and right hand," he gestured to the end, a similar, yet younger looking version of Louis. "And lastly, Rock, head of our bruisers." This man was bulkier than Vladek, and seemed almost a giant to Siyaka. He was bald with a thin moustache, and a black cap on his head. A part of him really reminded Siyaka of her former teammate Nappa. "Now, that introductions are out of the way, there is one last test. Let's see how you are on assignment." He looked over to Rock and said, "Fill her in on the job." He then turned an amused and disgusted frown toward Vladek on the ground before saying, "Clean yourself up."


	5. Chapter 4

AN: Hi all. Sorry for the delay. I just got back from vacation, where the internet was really bad, to the point I couldn't even log on to my FFN account to send PMs, leave reviews or even post. But otherwise, I had an awesome vacation.

I see I've gotten a lot of readers since my last post. Thanks for your loyalty. I hope I don't let you down and you continue to love this story. I certainly have a lot of plans for it.

Remember to check out my book on Amazon, Midnight Over Moores. And always remember to review after reading! I live on the stuff.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

Chapter 4:

No Party Like A Satan Party

Siyaka stood outside the apartment of some guy with Rock. He filled her in on the way over there, bruisers were the hitmen and guardians of the gang. If someone needed to be taught a lesson, the bruisers were sent. That lesson ranged from what happens when you're late on payments to what happens when the gang finds out you're a snitch. They were the enforcers. And when a meeting was going down, they were the back up.

This man apparently was late for the second time on his debt, and as Rock said, "Three times, you're out." She was almost certain that they were there to severely hurt this man if not kill him yet. It reminded her of working in Frieza's army. Making planetary house calls when they refused to give Frieza the goods and services he demanded. If they didn't respond favorably, bye bye planet.

Rock squared his stance at the door before giving it a swift and strong kick in, causing it to unhinge and pop out of the frame. The man in question sat in a chair in a dinky living room, eating cereal in front of a small tv working through bunny-ear antenna. He looked up at them with wide eyes before jumping up and throwing the bowl of milk and soggy cereal across the room while he tried to run for the bedroom.

Rock was quick though, sprinting forward and snagging his shirt collar and yanking him back. "Now, Jimmy, why would you run from us?" Rock asked in a heavy Russian accent. The man named Jimmy nervously looked around, his eyes landing on Siyaka. Then Rock pounded a fist into his stomach, causing Jimmy to lunge forward and cough. "Or better yet, why haven't you paid Mr. Rigby yet?"

Jimmy gasped for air as he tried to answer, "Not ready."

Rock frowned at him, shaking his head. "Well, Mr. Rigby was ready two weeks ago." Jimmy looked up at Rock nervously, almost begging for mercy. "Do you need some incentive?" Jimmy started shaking his head fervently no. "I think he needs incentive, Siyaka," Rock stated, an empty smile on his face. Rock dragged Jimmy over to the window, and gestured for Siyaka to help him.

Jimmy started screaming, begging to let him go, promising he'd pay in a few days. "Grab his feet, Siyaka." She did as Rock said, and they heaved Jimmy over the window sill, his head hanging over the street below.

"Help!" he screamed.

Rock shook him. "You better be shouting when you're gonna have the money ready, or my fingers might start to slip," he said, pretending to drop Jimmy a little bit as emphasis. Jimmy screamed out again, causing Rock to laugh. When Siyaka didn't laugh Rock shot her a look. "Not enjoying yourself, newbie?"

She frowned. "I just don't really see how holding someone out a window as 'incentive.'"

Rock gave an imaginative smile and said, "Alright, newbie. Reign him in. Show me what you've got."

Siyaka helped pull him up, ignoring his thank you's. She sat him down, and asked him simply, "How much do you owe?"

Jimmy laughed at her. "Is she for real?"

Rock glowered at her, "One million zeni." (AN: 1m Zeni=10G US$ roughly. I went with zeni being close to Jap. Yen amount)

"What of it do you have?" she asked again very simply. She'd have to show her tough side sooner or later.

"None."

She frowned, "That's not true. You have to pay for tv somehow… this apartment, water? So, you must have some cash on hand."

Rock looked at her like she was crazy, while Jimmy shrugged. "I've got maybe fifty-thousand zeni cash."

Siyaka gave him a friendly smile. "Well, there's a start. Now, how much do you pay for tv?"

Rock was glaring at her. She wasn't here to be his financial advisor, what was she doing? "Maybe sixty a month?"

With the friendliest smile, she knocked the tv on the ground with a crash. She held her hand out, and asked, "Rock, your gun please."

Now he was smiling, and handed her the gun as Jimmy looked at his newly broken tv in terror. Siyaka shot the tv, then sighed, "Alright, that's one-ten. Electricity?"

"Please, stop. I'll pay, I promise," Jimmy started.

"Electricity, Jimmy," Siyaka growled impatiently.

"One thirty."

Siyaka walked over simply, and punched through the breaker box, causing the power to shut off. She felt a jolt go through her, but she shook it off. "So that's two forty you have guaranteed at the end of the month. Do you have anything else bill wise we can help you deduct for this month's payment?"

"No, please, stop. I won't be able to pay damages if you continue on like this."

"Oh, Jimmy," she smiled, "you aren't able to pay for anything anyway. Maybe we should take today's payment out of something a little more personal? Are you a righty or a lefty?" His eyes went wide, and he didn't answer. She shrugged, pinning his right hand against the gun, and with a small, "I'll guess," she pulled the trigger, shooting his right hand. Jimmy howled in pain as she continued, "I don't want to do this Jim," she sighed, "but you're making me do this. Will you get the money by the end of the month?"

"I can't!" Jimmy snapped, crying over his hand.

Siyaka sighed. "Wrong answer, Jimmy," she said, pulling him up away from his legs, then pointing her gun at his right knee and firing. "Will you get the money by the end of the month?" She hated doing this. She could smell this guy pissing himself in front of her in pain from the gunshot wounds.

"Yes! Yes!" he cried out.

She put the cold steel of the gun against his tear-streaked cheek. "And what happens at the end of the month if you don't pay?"

He cried, spitting out a painful, "I don't know. I don't know. Please."

Siyaka tapped the gun to his cheek. "It's my understanding that this is you second strike, meaning if you don't pay next time, that's your third. And three strikes, you're out. Right Rock?"

"Right," Rock answered back. While seemingly untrained and shaky at first, she seemed to pick up how to intimidate correctly.

"That means Jimmy, you'll be made an example of. A painful death as a reminder to anyone else in your shoes to pay their debts to Mr. Rigby," Siyaka stated, using the gun to pull Jimmy's face up to look into hers. "You should know, you're lucky you got three warnings. Next time, it's your life, so make sure you're ready."

She stood up, leaving the bloody Jimmy on the ground as she handed Rock back his gun. "Let's get out of here. I'm sure he knows what to do now."

Rock took it, and nodded. He stepped on Jimmy's wounded hand for good measure. "One month. Don't forget." With that, he gestured to Siyaka for the door, and she followed him out. Her mind wouldn't stop running over her actions in her mind. How could she do that? She hadn't treated anyone like an animal like that since she was under Frieza. Then she only did it to survive. Now, it was to gain some group of assholes' trust. Kami, she felt dirty. "Well, congrats. I'll tell Louis you performed phenomenally. So, welcome to the team. I'll come by when we've got another assignment for you."

Siyaka shot him an odd look as the stepped out to the curb. "How will you know where I am?"

"Well, Ricky knows your address, so I'll ask him," he stated painfully. He held out a twenty-thousand zeni bill between two fingers. "For a taxi," he added. Siyaka nodded, taking the money before Rock walked off without her.

As soon as he was out of sight, she pocketed the money, and using the cover of night, she flew back to the safe house. As she walked in, she went back to the bedroom, where she'd record the day's events for the precinct. She took a breath as she hit the record button, sitting down on the edge of her bed. As she recounted the meeting in detail, explaining her new job in the mafia as not a delivery boy as promised, but a bruiser, she began to feel a couple tears go down her face. What had she gotten into? It wasn't mass genocide like under Frieza, but it still made her revert to that cold persona she had long thought gone, the persona that made her hate herself and realize exactly what she was capable of if she was pushed to it.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Gohan started at Orange Star High School, and things were going great. Sharpner, Erasa and Videl had become friendlier, and even begun to accept him as one of the cool kids of school, albeit, he was still considered a nerd. But their acceptance meant the other kids at school were friendly to him as well. He got the feeling Videl's group had gotten so friendly to him because Erasa had a crush on him – that or Sharpner needed _a lot_ of help with his homework.

Mia on the other hand remained quiet about their friendship, even though they sat through classes like history and Latin, their foreign language class. People had seen him be kind to her during gym class, but he knew most students thought he was just a nice guy, even to the class pariah.

But in all honesty, those moments with Mia were what he looked forward to most days. In those moments, he didn't have to hide that he was a half alien hybrid with superpowers and a knack for fighting off bad guys, as well as an unwavering cheerful demeanor. He was himself, the nerdy alien hybrid with the girl who was quickly becoming his best friend, the tough alien princess, in her own rite, who could also be a bit of a nerd when it came to genetics and ancient human mythology. Her tips on how to act in public school had helped him become the cool kid that their classmates clamored to know about. And he, more often than not, wished he could share that spotlight with her, not hide their close friendship.

Gohan was packing his bag at his locker, about to head home when Erasa showed up, holding a flier. "Hey, Smarty," she smiled bubbly, handing him the bright yellow paper, "Videl's having a huge party tomorrow night since her dad is out of town. You should come."

Gohan pursed his lips as he looked at the flier. Pictures of beer, a pool, and pool toys littered the page. "I'm not sure I'll be allowed to…" he trailed off.

He looked up to see Erasa's pouty face and wide pleading eyes. "Oh, Gohan, you have to come! You're one of the cool kids, and cool kids don't miss parties."

His shoulders slumped as he realized he'd be letting Erasa down. He hated letting people down. "I'll see what I can do, I guess," he conceded.

Erasa squealed, jumping for joy before wrapping her arms around his neck as she giggled into her shoulder. "YAY! Thank you thank you THANK YOU!" She stepped back jovially, adding, "Party starts at six! See you there!"

As she turned to leave, a thought went through his mind as he realized Mia might not be invited. And while he had managed to maintain a decent reputation at school, he'd probably need help at a party. "Wait, Erasa?" he called back to her, raising a hand.

She turned back to him with a giddy smile. "What?"

"C-can I bring a friend?"

She gave him a look mixing curiosity and being slightly taken aback, like the answer should have been obvious. "Of course you can, silly. Videl's inviting the whole school… well _most_ of the school. But I'm sure there won't be a problem."

He let out a relieved sigh, and replied, "Thanks. Again, I'll see what I can do." Erasa smiled back with a wave before running off. He folded the paper and put it in his bag. As soon as he was packed, he made his way up to the top of the school to find Mia waiting for him again. As soon as he saw her, he felt an elation in his chest and he grinned. "Hey, Mia."

"Gohan," she replied, a smile on her face. "You ready to go? Since it's Friday, you don't have a curfew, do you?"

Gohan shrugged. "Midnight, but I need to call ahead to my Mom," he answered. "What's your plan?"

Mia shrugged, "I figured we could either watch a movie or play a videogame – or …"

"Or?"

"We could spar," Mia continued with a mischievous grin. "I've never sparred with anyone other than my Mom. My uncle Rito doesn't even know I know how to fight."

Gohan grinned in return. "Spar, definitely. My Mom rarely lets me train."

Mia chuckled, shaking her head. "I guess we have that in common." With that she flew off towards the mountains in the distance, Gohan following after her. Once they got to a clearing, Mia squared off in the air, seeing the saiyan hybrid halt in the air behind her. Mia set her shoulders, pulling her fists up beside her in a fighting stance. "I hope you're ready for this."

Gohan smirked, and it made Mia's heart skip a beat. "You're forgetting who's a super saiyan and who's not."

"Don't think that necessarily gives you an edge," Mia snarked back, semi-flirtatiously. "I'm sure I can still get the upper hand if I want."

Gohan shook his head as if it were ridiculous. "Less talk, more fight." Mia nodded before shifting out of vision to speed in front of Gohan, throwing a punch he easily caught with one hand. He twisted her arm around, pinning her arm against her back. She struggled and he held it tighter. "Seems like I've won without breaking a sweat," Gohan remarked playfully. Mia smiled through the pain as she took her left arm and forcing her elbow back as hard as she could into his diaphragm. Gohan coughed hard from the unexpected blow, his shock opening his grasp on her arm, letting her go.

Mia sprang forward, spinning around to see Gohan clutching his stomach. "What is this?" Mia laughed. "What is this smack talk about you already winning?"

Gohan frowned at her. "Lucky shot."

"You were wide open."

Gohan stood up straight before phasing. Mia phased with him, catching up to him and starting to throw punches and kicks. He parried and blocked every step. And with every strong blow, he felt himself smiling more and more. Mia was the one person he didn't really have to hold back from on and off the battlefield. Until one time he threw a punch and it connected to her cheek. Her head snapped back, bringing her hand to her face. His human side came out as his eyes went wide, and he flew to her, cupping her cheek. "Oh, Mia. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Hurt?" Mia laughed, rubbing her cheek. "It was a nice hit." When she removed her hand, she revealed a slight bruising.

"Oh, Mia. I didn't realize I punched so hard," Gohan apologized.

Mia shot him a strange look. "What are you talking about?" She gripped his hand caressing her cheek, using that arm to leverage her body above his and flying him into the ground as she added, "You seem to forget I'm a Saiyan. Pain is nothing." As he landed on his back, Mia landed on top of him, pinning his arms to the ground with her legs around his waist, sitting on top of his stomach, her bruised face hovering over his. "Gotcha'."

Gohan's eyes held a nervousness in them as his gaze shifted between her eyes and her lips. His breathing became shallow as he nervously rasped, "Uhm."

Mia realized her breathing was shallow as well when she noticed how close she was to him. Her chest so close to touching his chest. She almost leaned forward to kiss him, but with her hands around his arm sleeves, she didn't have the contact to see into his mind to tell if that's what he actually wanted. Suddenly self-conscious, she backed off, rolling off of him and lying down in the grass next to him. "So," she muttered, segueing away from the awkward moment that might have been their first kiss, "do you have any plans this weekend?"

Gohan breathed, a little taken aback that Mia didn't kiss him. Maybe she wasn't as into him as he thought, but no matter. In his gut, he knew there was a force stronger than each of them driving them together. He'd just have to try harder. "Actually, yeah. I was invited to Videl's party tomorrow." Mia shot him a curious look. "But I'm not sure if I should go, or even if I want to go."

Mia sat up to look at him. "You have to go," she stated, almost seriously. "You're considered a cool kid … better yet, a cool nerd, which is almost impossible. You'll lose some face if you don't go."

Gohan frowned. "You sound like Erasa."

Mia gave shot him a surprised scowl, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Gohan replied. "Just 'You gotta' be there because you're considered _cool_.' Which is nice and all, but I don't know." He sighed. When Mia didn't say anything, he reached into his bag, pulling out the yellow piece of paper. "Well, Erasa did say I could bring someone." He looked back to her curiously, handing her the flier. "I'm guessing you weren't invited, were you?"

Mia shook her head as she took the paper. She read it as she replied, "I'm not a cool kid, so no. Plus, Videl hates me, so that's definitely not invited."

Gohan leaned up, his eyes trained on Mia. "Why _does_ Videl hate you? I know the story Erasa told me couldn't be true."

Mia scowled in confusion at Gohan. "What story?" she demanded.

Gohan shrugged. "Something about you sleeping with Sharpner in freshman year while he and Videl were dating."

Mia was silent as her jaw dropped in disgusted shock. She looked away from Gohan as she growled, "That bitch."

"Look, I know it's not true. So what's the real story?" Gohan asked again.

"There isn't a story," Mia said, shaking her head. "Ever since I've known her, she's hated me. When I was little, it was because I had a tail. So, that made me different. I left our elementary school after an incident, I'd rather not get into," she added with her hand up, "only to be reunited in middle school. I was ok for less than a year, but the bullying started up again, as always. If I'm correct, that's around the time Mr. and Mrs. Satan got divorced, so that might have something to do with it.

"But, by then, I learned to control my tail, so she wasn't bullying me about that. But saiyans go through puberty a little early, so instead of wearing A cup bras, I was wearing …" she looked over to him awkwardly, realizing she was getting into some intimate details of her body she probably shouldn't be sharing with a guy, "uhm … I was wearing larger cup bras, which started rumors that I stuffed my bra for attention, that turned into rumors that I slept around, I guess."

Gohan's eyes narrowed as he asked, "Stuffed your bra?"

Mia's face turned beet red as she sputtered out an explanation. "Y-yeah. Some girls will add padding in their bra t-to make th-their …" she gestured to her boobs awkwardly searching for a less awkward word, "… ch-chest look bigger."

Gohan feigned ignorance as he innocently asked, "Why?"

"B-because," she bumbled, not looking at the half saiyan, "guys t-tend t-to like – bigger …" she gestured again as if she were holding her own boobs, only this time to look up and see Gohan grinning at her fluster. She set her jaw, giving him a sardonic smile, playfully pushing him as she said, "Dick."

Gohan chuckled as he said, "No, come on. I was enjoying your explanation."

"Duh," Mia barked a laugh out exasperatedly, "because I'm talking about boobs!"

Gohan kept laughing as he thought about how cute she looked flustered. He calmed down a little as he breathed, "So, she hates you because you're different."

"Well, to begin with, yeah. But if Erasa told you it was because I slept with Sharpner," she sighed, before quickly adding, "which did _not_ happen, Videl probably believes it did. So that would explain why she hasn't tried to be nice to me, like she did most of the other girls she used to bully." Mia shook her head, picking at the grass. "Funny thing is I know who he actually cheated on her with, and …" she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"What? Who?" Gohan asked curiously.

Mia waved him off as she replied, "It doesn't matter. You have to go to this party."

Gohan frowned at her before biting his lower lip. "Well, I was hoping you would come with me."

Mia raised an ebony eyebrow at him. "You want _me_ to go with you?" Gohan nodded. Mia pouted as she replied, "But I wasn't invited."

"Please! They said I could bring someone," Gohan replied, putting his hands together in a pleading gesture. "I'd be lost if you didn't help me through it. Please."

Mia gazed at him skeptically. "Lost, huh?" Gohan nodded fervently, holding his pleading hands up. Mia huffed. "Fine, I'll go with you to the party. Meet at my apartment tomorrow at five, since the party starts at six."

Gohan gave his trademark Son Family grin as he exclaimed, "Thank you!"

* * *

Tomorrow came quickly, and Mia sat by the door waiting for Gohan to show up. Rito was not far off drinking a beer with a smile. "You seem a bit anxious, Mia. This isn't a date coming by, is it?" Rito asked with a coy smile as he looked over the teen Saiyan. He'd known her for the past ten years, and he'd never seen her this nervous.

Mia scowled at her mother's partner in crime. But before she could respond, there was a knock at the door, causing her to jump up. She could feel Rito's dark eyes follow her as she took very quick steps to the door. She swung it open, a grin on her face as she saw Gohan's smile, but then her face fell as she took in the rest of his body. "Oh, no. You can _not_ wear that," Mia sighed as she looked at Gohan's suit. It was made of a light grey fabric and would have been ok for a wedding or church or work in an office building. But a high-school rager? He'd be laughed at.

Gohan frowned. "What's wrong with my suit? Mom says it makes me look dashing."

Mia scoffed, "Your _mother_ , case and point." She frowned at him as her mind ran. "We can't go shopping. So where on earth are we going to get you a new outfit?" Suddenly, Mia snapped her fingers with a smile. "Hey, Uncle Rito!"

"Yeah?" he called from the living room, grinning at the scene.

"Can Gohan borrow some of your clothes?" Mia asked as she pulled Gohan out of the entryway to give Rito a good look at him. "He's _way_ too overdressed for this party."

Rito eyed her, then the young half saiyan teen. A small half smile appeared on his face as he asked, "First rager?"

"Duh," Mia laughed, causing Gohan's face to fall. "Oh, sorry. Gohan, Rito. Rito, Gohan," she added pointing to each of them as she said their name.

"Nice to meet ya' Gohan, and don't feel bad about it," Rito chuckled, seeing Gohan's distraught face. "Everyone needs a friend to help them with their first rager outfit." Rito got up off the couch, setting his beer down on the coffee table, and putting an arm around the teenage boy with a smile, "Come, my young padowan."

Gohan turned to Mia with confusion as he mouthed, "Padowan?" Mia blinked at him slowly before putting her face in her palm. After Rito guided Gohan out of the room, Mia went back to her room, finding a nice but comfortable outfit for the party. After a few minutes, she came out of her room wearing a mid-thigh length black zip-up bodice dress with a hot pink tank top underneath as well as fishnet leggings and her knee length combat boots. Gohan and Rito came out of Siyaka's bedroom with a completely new Gohan in front of their eyes. Rito had him changed into a tight black t-shirt, a dark blue button up shirt, stylistically worn-out jeans, and a leather arm band around his wrist. While Rito looked proud at his work, Gohan looked nervous.

"Are you sure this isn't too underdressed?" he asked, shooting a worried look between Mia and Rito.

"Nah, it's perfect," Rito smiled. He turned to Mia and asked, "What do you think?"

Mia gave an approving nod before replying, "I would not expect the bad boy look on him, but yeah. You look good." She grabbed Gohan's hand quickly, saying, "Come on, time's wasting." Gohan blushed lightly at her touch, but followed suit as she dragged him out to the door.

"Remember the rules, Mia," Rito called to them, following them to the door. "No drinking and driving, no getting wasted, no trying out funny drugs, and _absolutely_ no unprotected sex," Rito explained, ticking them off with his fingers, the last one leaving nervous looks on both Rito's and Gohan's faces. Rito let out a sobering breath as he added, "Also, steer clear of any party fowls. Same goes for you, Gohan."

Gohan seemed too shocked to say anything, so Mia replied, "Thanks, Uncle Rito. Don't wait up," as she closed the front door, leaving her and Gohan out in the hallway. She helped Gohan turn away, and saw that he seemed almost green in the gills, and asked, "You okay?"

"D-did he say 'sex'?" Gohan sputtered out, eyes still wide. Again, the thought ran through his mind that he hadn't even had his first kiss yet, and there were going to be kids his age at this party engaging in much more serious acts.

Mia looped her arm with his, a grin on her face as she pulled him close to her as they headed up to the roof of the apartment building. "Welcome to high school, where the highlight of the year to most people is a night of debauchery at the Satan household." Gohan's eyes were still wide as he looked at her nervously as she laughed. "It's not going to be that bad. But yeah, you might get lucky," Mia added, her heart sinking a little. "Who knows."

Gohan shook his head. "I don't think I'll get lucky. That's not my … I mean, I'm not really …" he said, trailing off, earning a raised eyebrow from the saiyan girl next to him as they got to the roof. She let go of his arm and stood across from him. He gave a shuttered breath before adding, "I'm not going to do it with just anyone. She's gotta' be _special_."

"She's gotta' be the one," Mia clarified with a nod. _So, he does have it._

Gohan blinked at her with a small nod. "Yeah, she's gotta' be the one."

"Saiyan monogamy gene. Gotta' love it," Mia sighed, sticking her hands in her pockets.

Gohan gave her a weird look. "What gene?"

Mia let out a calming breath as she began to ascend, gesturing him to do the same, which he did. "Like humans," Mia started, "Saiyans have a monogamy gene, and it's rare, unlike in humans. The pull for it is different though. While the human monogamy gene urges the person to be faithful to their mate while they are together, ie they won't cheat, the Saiyan monogamy gene causes the person to fall in love once, and only once." Mia looked to Gohan, who just looked confused.

"How do you know I have that gene?" he asked skeptically.

Mia scoffed, "Other than you just saying you have it pretty much, I kinda guessed since your dad's and grandparents' records all state they had the gene."

Gohan stopped, his head tilting in confusion. "What records?"

"The Saiyan records my mom saved before she went on her mission in case she ran into your dad while she was here," Mia said exasperatedly, crossing her arms. "I could have sworn I told you about them."

Gohan shook his head. "No, no you didn't. Otherwise I would have asked to see them."

"Sure," she replied, before quirking an eyebrow at him. "They're in Saiyan."

Gohan scowled in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"They are written in the Saiyan language. My mom taught me enough to read it. But I doubt that's a skill you have," Mia stated tiredly.

Gohan pursed his lips with a nod. "You'd be right. I _don't_ know how to read Saiyan."

Mia's shoulders dropped with a sigh. "Well, you'd at least be able to see a picture of your grandparents and a baby picture of your father."

Gohan's eyes went wide. "Really?" he asked excitedly.

"Well, yeah," Mia stated plainly, "they're records, meaning they contain identification and history." Gohan grinned as if he couldn't believe what she was saying. "I'll see if I can find them tonight, and bring them to school on Monday."

"Thanks," Gohan replied, still in a state of disbelief.

"Anyway," Mia sighed gesturing to the rich side of the town, "it's time to get to the party." She turned to fly towards the Satan household with Gohan following behind. After a minute of silence, she added, "I have it, too."

"Have what, too?" he asked.

"The Saiyan monogamy gene," Mia answered, "it's why my Mom was chosen to be my dad's wife."

"What do you mean 'chosen'?"

"She was my dad's betrothed, because a queen has to be sexually loyal to prevent the possibility of the child of an affair getting the throne," Mia explained. "So, for the past several generations since they found the gene, they've picked women in the Saiyan court that had the gene to become queen for the heir. One thing they know is that it is dominant in women, so since my mom has the gene, so do I." When Gohan remained silent for a minute, mulling over what she said, Mia added, "Just figured …" she trailed off awkwardly before sighing. "Whatever, maybe we should go over what to do at the party."

"Yeah," he replied as he thought about the gene, and what that meant for him. He knew he was falling for Mia, but Mia would also only fall in love once. What if that once wasn't him? He hoped he didn't end up like her mother likely was, in love with someone she couldn't have because he was with someone else. As he thought about it more, he realized it was actually a little heartbreaking.

"Alright," Mia started, hoping to pass the awkward moment of conversation. "You should only have one glass of the punch before sticking with beer, soda, or water the rest of the night. You will wake up with the worst hangover ever if you have too much of it. Make sure you talk to everyone, be seen. Also, know when to leave."

Gohan frowned. "How will I know to leave?"

"Either people are trying to make you do what you don't want to, or they aren't talking to you," Mia stated plainly. "Alright, we're here," she stated, going down to land on the street. Gohan followed suit, landing next to her. Gohan moved to walk in when Mia stopped him, holding his arm. "I forgot to say thank you," Mia said, "for inviting me along." Gohan smiled and nodded with a steadying breath. She squeezed his arm gently before adding, "Don't be nervous about the party. The key is to have fun. And when you're ready to leave, come find me and we'll go. Alright?"

Gohan smiled, "Yeah." He then followed the long walkway to the front door of the mansion. He knocked as soon as they reached it, and it swung open. The party was already in full blast with people calling and laughing over the sound of loud blaring music.

"Hey stranger," Erasa greeted. "Glad to see you made it! Come on in."

"Hey Erasa," Gohan replied with a smile, following her in. Erasa's gaze shifted to Mia behind Gohan, shock coming over her face. "Yeah, I brought my friend, Mia."

Erasa gave him a nervous smile. "Right. Well, come on in _Mia_ ," she said through gritted teeth. Mia gave her a small smile as she stepped in. "Well, I've gotta go … uhm … grab Sharpner," Erasa excused herself, walking off into the throng of people cheering on some other student into chugging a beer.

Mia narrowed her eyes at the retreating figure of the usually bubbly blonde before saying, "I should probably go, let you mingle with people."

Gohan shot her a worried expression. "No, stay, please."

Mia shook her head. "Trust me, you don't need me screwing up your social standing. If enough people see you with me, you might not be considered one of the cool kids anymore."

Gohan frowned at her, grabbing her hand and saying, "I don't care what everyone thinks of me. Honestly. I don't like lying about being your friend."

Through the connection in their hands, Mia could feel his sincerity in his declaration, as well as his need for her to be there, and it warmed her heart. She barely contain the small smile growing on her face, as she let go of his hand. "Alright," she conceded, "I'll stick around. But first I'll get us some drinks, ok?"

Gohan visibly relaxed, a smile on his face as he nodded in agreement. She smiled back at him before walking off, pulling someone aside and asking where the drinks were, and seeing him point towards the back. Gohan took a couple steps into the foyer of the Satan Mansion. The whole house smelled heavily of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and sweat. "So, you showed up," he heard behind him. He turned to see Videl Satan, leaning on the doorframe, a seductive smirk on her face and a red plastic cup in her hands. She took a sip, setting the cup down on a small table next to her as she added, "I hoped you'd show up."

"Hi, Videl," Gohan breathed nervously. Ever since Videl had made it clear to him and Mia that she would stop at nothing to unmask Saiyaman and Saiyagirl, he was always nervous about spilling a small fact that unwittingly wound up connecting the dots for her. "How are you doing?"

Videl shook her head with a smile, getting closer to him. "Let's skip the pleasantries, and get down to business."

"B-business?" Gohan asked nervously as she stepped just beneath him. "W-what business is th-?"

He was interrupted as Videl grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him down into a kiss. It was wet, and tasted of alcohol. He would have been disgusted by the taste of her beer breath if he wasn't already mostly in shock by the kiss itself. He could feel through her mind her semi-attraction to him, as well as the distinct territorial feeling that he was hers now, and it made him want to shake her off. He belonged to himself and whoever he decided to give his heart to. And that most definitely wasn't Videl.

What he didn't know was at that moment, the saiyan princess who was slowly taking over more and more of his thoughts and time had just come back, the two drinks she grabbed for them in her hand only to see his lips locked to the one girl he knew lived to make her life Hell. Not only that, but in an intimate embrace that told Mia she entered at the wrong time. Mia could feel a lump begin to grow in her throat, tightening her breathing, as she felt her heart begin to crumble. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried, but she could feel that it was about to happen again. Without a word, she turned to leave, the cups still in her hand as she walked into the throng of the party. That was when she looked at the drinks in her hands, the Satan Party Hunch Punch, and she realized she didn't want to feel this pain in her chest, and on top of that, she didn't want to remember this night. She licked her trembling lips before tipping the cup to her lip and downing its contents in a few gulps.

Gohan managed to push Videl off him, and took a step back as he wiped his mouth. "Uhm, Videl," he said as he cleared his throat. He gave her an awkwardly nervous smile as he added, "I'm sorry if you thought that there was anything…"

"It's her," Videl said with a sneer, spitting out, "Mia." Gohan frowned sadly at her, giving her the answer she needed without speaking. "She'll break your heart, you know. She's a liar …"

"No, she won't," Gohan replied, interrupting her. "She's one of the most honest people I've met at this school."

"She's a bastard with no real father figure," Videl snapped back, "and because of it, she became a slut for attention." Gohan scoffed, not believing what he was hearing. "She breaks up relationships for fun. She's a monster."

Gohan shook his head, resting a pitying glare on the young vigilante whose family had gotten rich off of taking credit for Gohan and Cell's fight. That was when he realized Videl's whole idea of herself was a lie, justified by what everyone around her told her. "You don't know anything about her or her family," he stated plainly, his tone calm. "The sad thing is you assume that you do," he finished, before walking off, leaving the Satan girl staring after him as he walked into the throng of the party, trying his best to sense Mia. With the music pounding in his ears and his high school peers jumping around with the music, he closed his eyes, focusing on her familiar energy signal.

He was shoved aside by some of his classmates, he didn't know who, and they were talking loudly about some girl dancing provocatively to some song. "If what they say is true, she might take her top off."

One of them noticed Gohan standing there and nudged him, "Hey dude, didn't you hear? Someone snuck the school slut into the party, and now she's doing a table dance." _School slut_ rang through Gohan's head as he grasped the guy's arm. He recognized his classmate now; they had shop class together. But what he was saying didn't make sense. Mia wouldn't do a table dance, whatever that was, would she? He couldn't help his tight grip on the guy's wrist as his nerves slowly took over his heart. "Ow, dude. What the hell?"

"Show me," Gohan ordered, a hint of worry in his voice.

The guy wrenched his arm back, massaging his wrist as he gave Gohan a weird look. "Yeah, right this way." Gohan followed him into the next room were the whole school seemed to have gathered, looking up at Mia, her hair undone and wild as she ground her hips around, gyrating her body in a way that caused Gohan to lose his breath. The rest of the school seemed to be cheering her on as she jived and ground to the music. There were several other students cheering her on, a couple drunk, horny guys yelling for her to strip.

Gohan's blood began to boil with every taunt and jeer begging for Mia to lose some clothes or for a lap dance. His scowl grew as he saw his many classmates holding out their camera phones, catching her provocative dance on film or in photos. This had to stop. What was Mia even doing?

Her eyes landed on the demi-saiyan, and her drunken face grinned. "Goooooohaaaan!" she waved, her cheeks flushed as she slurred his name. "Why so glum!?"

Gohan let out a small breath as he stepped forward to her, holding his hand out, "Come on."

She put on a mock serious face as she giggled, "If you say so." She put her hands on his shoulders, pushing her butt out before jumping down, their classmates complaining about Gohan killing the entertainment. Gohan guided her out to the fresh air, maybe then she'd gain some common sense back. As he got her back to the entryway, and back outside, he could smell the alcohol seemingly rolling off her body. With his hand on her bare arm, he tried to touch her mind, to see what had happened, but her mind was spinning with no sense of direction. All he got was a buzz of dizzying feelings, and he had to back out before her mind left him ill.

"What's gotten into you Mia?" Gohan asked, a worried expression coming over his face as he looked her over.

"Alky-halls," Mia giggled before letting out a hiccup. She clung to his arm as she started to droop in posture while he tried to walk her down the front steps. "IIIIIII'm tired."

Gohan shook his head. "Well, you can go to sleep when we get you home."

"Uh-uh," Mia groaned, "put me down."

"Not likely," Gohan replied, holding onto her tighter. "We need to get you home."

"Put me down!" she snapped, struggling against Gohan with more strength than he expected from her somewhat feebly drunk form. He let her go, and she collapsed to the ground, clenching her skull with closed eyes. "The world is spinning," she groaned. She lurched before moaning, "Oh no." She crept over to the side of the stairs, throwing up the contents of her stomach into the bushes.

"Oh, GROSS!" Erasa shrieked, several guys spilling past her, still taking pictures of Mia getting sick on the stairs, documenting the night's events.

"Disgusting," Videl growled, her glare moving to Gohan. "Now the bushes are going to die. Get her out of here!"

Gohan nodded, leaning down to help Mia up. She groaned as he picked her up bridal style, holding her close to his chest as he walked off. He was sure his classmates were still watching them, so he walked several blocks, listening to her groan in her self-induced pain, before he lifted them off the ground, flying towards her apartment, slowly so as not to dizzy her further. "What were you thinking, Mia?" he asked, not sure if it was to himself or if he actually wanted an answer.

Mia nuzzled her nose into his chest and sighed, "You smell nice." She was quiet a moment before she added in a small voice, "I can see why she likes you."

Gohan looked down at the saiyan princess, a strange look in his black eyes as something registered in his mind. "Is that what this is about?" Gohan asked. "Videl?" They were almost to her apartment, but he wanted to know.

"You like her, right?" Mia stated, nuzzling Gohan's chest even more. She held onto him tighter, as if burying her face in his chest.

"No," Gohan answered, his deep voice rumbling through his chest.

"You shouldn't kiss girls you don't like," Mia giggled tiredly, rubbing the tip of her nose against his chest. "You know it's weird," she laughed into his chest, "I can't feel my nose. I must've over did it."

"W-what?" Gohan asked nervously. When she didn't answer, his heart dropped, and he looked down to see her passed out in his arms. He shook her a little, "Mia? Mia, wake up, stay with me." He landed on her apartment building's roof, sitting her up as he gently tried to shake her awake, patting her cheek gently. Her eyes shot wide open as she gasped, and he felt relief flood through him.

She slowly blinked back to herself. "Water," she moaned.

He sighed as he replied, "We'll get you some water when we get you home. Come on." He picked her up again gently, guiding her arms to hold onto his neck. He took her down the stairs until he stood in front of her apartment. He knocked on the door, and was answered with a curiously worried frown on her Uncle Rito's face. "She just had a little too much to drink."

Rito nodded, holding the door open for Gohan as he said, "I'll make her a glass of water." Gohan continued to the couch, gently setting Mia down so she was sitting up, while Rito grabbed a glass, filling it with ice and water. Gohan sat across from Mia on the coffee table watching her carefully. Rito came in with a glass of water, and placed a wet washcloth on Mia's forehead. "To help sober her up," he explained. After Mia had a sip of her water, Rito muttered a small, "I'll be back in the other room if you need me." With that, he left, leaving the two teenagers in the living room.

"If you don't like her," Mie drawled, a bit more soberly than before, as she took off the damp cloth, "then why did you kiss her?"

Gohan shook his head with a small chuckle. "She kissed me, but I pushed her off," he explained, "and I told her I didn't feel that way about her."

A small smile came over Mia's face as she asked, "Why not?"

Gohan blushed, scratching the back of his head as he answered, "Because I like someone else." Mia blushed a little as well before leaning her face close to his, starting to close her eyes until she heard, "Uhm, no, Mia." Mia's eyes opened up again, taking in Gohan leaning away from her nervously. "Not like this," he added in a small voice as she straightened up, her heart pounding with embarrassment.

"Right," Mia tried to cover breathlessly, looking away from him, "of course." _Of course you don't like me like that. We're just friends,_ she finished in her mind. _He must be talking about some girl near his home._ She took another sip shakily, before standing up and adding, "Well, thanks for bringing me home."

He gave her the same worried look that made her think he actually cared, and her heart ached. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She gave him her best smile and a nod as she said, "Yeah. Just some water and rest, and I'll be good as new."

He looked her over skeptically before muttering a small, "Sure. I'll see you at school." With that said, he left, shutting the apartment door with a divisive click.

Mia looked at the door for a minute blankly before sinking back onto the couch, a tear running down her cheek. She ran a hand through her black hair shakily. "I'm such an idiot."

* * *

AN: I hope you all liked the chapter. Please remember to leave a review!


	6. Chapter 5

AN: Hi all. I finally finished the chapter. I should note I've read the reviews, and I know, I used something cliché for Gohan and Mia's relationship, and it's not a favorite cliché, but it was necessary for what I want to do with them. I promise, it's not going to last long. I swear on everything. Just keep reading. Things are about to start picking up for the Jicama girls.

Remember to check out my book on Amazon, Midnight Over Moores. And always remember to review after reading! I live on the stuff.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

Chapter 5

Cover Blown

It was Wednesday of the next week, and since the party, Gohan had heard very little from Mia. Even as Saiyaman, she'd been avoiding joining him as his partner, Saiyagirl. It made him worry. Why would she all of a sudden stop talking to him? And what about the records she promised to give him? Something was off, and he hoped it wasn't something he'd done.

Not only that, but Videl had been hounding him more than usual as Saiyaman. This morning, she had chased him all over Satan City in her jet-copter, trying to unmask him and find out his true identity. She even told him that she was close to figuring out who he was. Videl's gaze had been trained on him all day, her azure eyes holding a skeptical curiosity that said she was definitely on to him. He needed to throw her off somehow, but he had no idea how, not without Mia's help. It was the absolute worst time for her to start ignoring him.

He walked out into the city after school, knowing Videl had been following him, in hopes he'd unmask himself as Saiyaman. It was going to be a long night if he had to walk the whole way home with Videl following him like some lost puppy.

He stopped when he heard sirens, a small smile on his face. A yellow sports car came flying around the bend, a cop car following it on its side. The yellow car swerved, bumping the cop car of the road, crashing it into a fire-hydrant and a store window. Two men stepped out of the yellow vehicle, laughing to each other about the chaos they just caused. One wore a purple shirt, and he had a long face with slicked back orange hair. The other wore a green shirt, and his face was round, and his body very toned, like one of the guys he'd see at WWE wrestling match. Now was Gohan's moment.

Gohan stepped forward, a victorious smirk as he said, "That was a pretty dangerous stunt you two pulled."

The guy in the purple shirt jerked a thumb over to Gohan and asked, "Who's the mook?"

The green shirt looked over, a smile coming over his face. "Just some kid looking to stir up trouble."

"I think you've stirred up enough trouble today," Gohan replied, standing as tall as possible. _Take the bait,_ he prayed.

"You want some of this, kid?!" green shirt growled, stepping forward and grabbing ahold of Gohan's shirt collar.

Gohan's smile grew a bit as he added, "Don't start something you'll regret."

"Why you!" green shirt growled as he raised his fist.

"Get 'im, Johnny!" the purple shirt cheered.

Green shirt swung, and Gohan dodged with ease. The thug kept swinging, and Gohan dodged each blow. "GOHAN!" he heard Videl call out, grabbing his attention. _So she finally started watching._ He let his guard down, allowing the thug's fist to connect to Gohan's face. Pretending to be hurt, Gohan flew himself back, making sure to land on the concrete with a thud. He grunted as he grabbed his face.

"Hey, You!" Videl called out.

"What, you want some of this too!?" the green shirt called back to her, a sneer on his face.

Videl cracked her knuckles before hitting her palm and cracking her neck with a twist of her head. "I'm not sure you want any of this," she replied before launching an assault with a flying kick, her foot connecting with his gut, sending him flying into the wall.

"Johnny!" the purple shirt called as he ran over to his companion. He helped his friend back in the car as Videl stepped towards them threateningly. "You haven't heard the last of us!" purple shirt called to the Satan girl before jumping in the driver's seat of his car, and throwing the car into drive and speeding off.

As soon as the thugs left the scene, Videl turned back to the demi saiyan, her face apologetic. "Gohan, I'm so sorry. I should've stepped in. Ah man. Let me see how bad it is," she apologized as he stood up, dusting off his clothes.

Gohan turned to her with a smile as he said, "I'm fine."

Videl's face altered from worry to disbelief. "B-but he hit you! I saw it. Not a scratch? Nothing?"

Gohan grinned a little wider. "Wow, not even a black eye? How lucky can ya' get?"

Videl crossed her arms with a smirk. "Well, not very. You still got knocked on your ass." Gohan laughed good-naturedly, scratching the back of his head. Videl frowned, more to herself than to the demi-saiyan. "I should have stepped in earlier. I'm sorry. But I didn't because … it's stupid now that I think of it."

He raised a curious brow at her. "What?"

She shook her head in embarrassment. "I thought you were the Great Saiyaman," she laughed before gesturing to him and adding, "but clearly, you're not."

Gohan laughed nervously. So he was right. She was close to catching him … _was._ He let out a louder laugh as he said, "Me, the Great Saiyaman. Yeah, right."

Videl laughed with him as she added, "Yeah, you dress too nice to wear an orange bucket on your head. That and you clearly can't take a punch." Gohan's smile became a little more forced at the "bucket" comment he was trying hard to ignore. She placed a friendly hand on his shoulder as she said, "Next time there's a fight, just holler for me before you decide to see how you'll fair in it."

Gohan nodded. "Right."

She removed her hand as she blushed, adding, "And about the party, I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have forced myself on you like that." Gohan blushed and just nodded, unable to find the words to respond with. Videl gave him a sincere smile as she said, "Right, well, have a safe trip home." Gohan nodded, waiting for her to walk away before making his way to a nearby alleyway to change into his Saiyaman costume and taking off to the clouds.

* * *

Siyaka sat in the restaurant Rock texted her about for an emergency meeting. Most of the other bruisers she had met and worked with were already there. She was the only woman of the group, but no one messed with her after the first bruiser meeting where she almost broke one of the thug's arms before being called off by Rock. She drank her drink at the bar waiting for Rock to arrive this time to tell the group what was going on.

She looked up when she heard two men, Johnny and Ray walking through the door. Johnny was rubbing his meaty hand, which was swollen, as he shook his head at his ginger-haired companion. "Seriously, it felt like I was punching a steel wall," Johnny said through a grimace.

"No way. That kid was puny," Ray replied with a laugh.

"Maybe," Johnny sighed, "but something definitely wasn't right with him."

Rock came in behind them, his hands on his hips. "Now, listen all. I sent Johnny and Ray out to the business side of Satan City that Louis wants to take control of. They ran into some …" he looked at Johnny rubbing his hand, "trouble with Ms. Satan, the town hero." He turned back to the group with a smirk, "So we are going to challenge the Satan family and clear them out of the area for the Boss's new operations.

"Now, obviously I can't have everyone here go, so I'm gonna' ask Johnny and Ray to join me, since they know what the little bitch looks like," he stated, almost bored, then he turned to Siyaka, pointing to her. "And you, Miss Siyaka. You will back me up if anyone gets uppity, since Johnny and Ray _clearly_ can't hold their own."

"But Boss," Johnny and Ray complained.

"Quiet!" Rock snapped, closing his eyes in annoyance. He turned back to the saiyan with a smile. "Siyaka, you've really proven yourself as one of my best bruisers these past several weeks. And I need my best bruiser to take Ms. Satan while I take on her father. What do you say?"

Siyaka licked her lips as she thought. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Rock shook his head with a smirk. "I'm not sure you understand this isn't a request. It's an order."

She gave him a sardonic smile, knocking her drink back before she replied, "I'd be honored to take care of Ms. Satan."

"That's the spirit," Rock smiled, turning back to the group. "Now, here's the plan for tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, Mia walked around the halls of school, keeping her head down to avoid eye contact with anyone. So many people had brought up the video of her table dancing and throwing up at Videl's party that had gone viral, she could barely face anyone at school. If it wasn't for needing to be there, she wouldn't have gone.

She slipped the last class's book on the top shelf of her locker before reaching for her next class's book and shutting the locker shut. "Why are you ignoring me?" Gohan asked, leaning against her neighbors' locker, a concerned expression on his face. She set her teeth as she thought, _And then there's this._

She never had a memory replay over and over again in her head as the memory of him turning her down. She couldn't believe she had assumed he liked her like that. She was so embarrassed. Now she was trying to save some face by acting like she didn't really care for him either, but he wouldn't stop looking at her like that. Concerned, worried for their friendship. It was like he hadn't noticed she already screwed their _friendship_ up for the both of them. Now they couldn't have a conversation between that wouldn't hold that awkward thought around them that Mia wanted more than Gohan was willing to give. It would have been easier if he decided to avoid her just as she was trying to do.

She pushed past him, her face down as she tried to control the blush rushing to her face. "D-Did I do something wrong?" he asked, following closely behind her.

Mia stopped, shaking her head, but refusing to look at him. "No, you didn't do anything wrong."

"So, why aren't you talking to me?" When she didn't answer, he put a hand on her shoulder, gently turning her to face him. "Mia?"

Mia lifted her face, but she couldn't bear to see his worried onyx gaze searching her face for an answer. She trained her eyes to the wall of lockers instead, stating, "Look it's stupid. I thought ..." her shoulders dropped as she shook her head and rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. "It doesn't matter what I thought. Clearly it was wrong."

With that, she left his grasp and walked on towards class, leaving the demi-saiyan standing in the school hallway, looking after the Saiyan princess confusedly. _I-I just don't get girls,_ he thought, shaking his head at Mia's retreating figure before following her to their Calculus class.

He saw her take a seat on the door's side of the classroom towards the back. She still avoided his gaze as he walked across the front of the room to sit in front, not far from Videl, Erasa and Sharpner. "Lover's spat?" Sharpner asked mockingly as he leaned towards Gohan.

"Leave him alone Sharpner," Erasa reprimanded, throwing a balled up piece of paper at him. She leaned over to the blond man, whispering, "It's not his fault he has such bad taste in women." Gohan's neck tensed at that, and he set his jaw, trying his best not to snap at them.

Sharpner shrugged with a laugh. "She's got nice jugs."

"Is that why you slept with her?" Videl sniped back as she sat down. Sharpner's mouth snapped shut looking at the Satan girl bleakly, his eyes wide. Videl just shrugged with a frown, her blue eyes holding a sour glint in them as she added, "I mean, she was good enough for you. Right?" Gohan looked back to Videl with surprise as she stared down her ex, who was starting to look embarassed. "So, by that logic, we should be making fun of you, because you did the same thing."

Sharpner scoffed as he replied, "Well, if nerd-boy wants my sloppy seconds…"

Gohan made a move to get up and punch him, but Videl was faster with a loud resounding slap. She stood over him with a sardonic smile, her hands placed territorially over Sharpner's desk while he held his red cheek in shock. "You leave Gohan alone, or you're going to answer to me. Understand?" Sharpner nodded nervously, shrinking in his chair. Videl grinned, and with a sigh, took the desk next to Gohan.

Gohan eyed her strangely. "Wh-what was that for?"

Videl smiled at him as she stated, "Because you don't know everything that's gone on in our class." She licked her lips before looking him seriously in the eyes and stating, "Look, I _hate_ Mia. I'm not gonna' sugarcoat it. She's done things that most of us would deem reprehensible, which is why no one really talks to her.

"I _also_ don't get what's going on between you and Mia. I still think you're being naïve about it and _her_. But that's not my business, and I get that. Maybe you see something in her that the rest of us don't. Or maybe you just need to figure out who she really is on your own. Either way, you're my friend. And I'm an adult enough to still be your friend while you figure things out. And if things don't work out, I'm here for you. You know?"

Gohan gave her a weird thankful smile. "Yeah. Thanks."

Videl smiled back at him, a smile that reached her purplish blue eyes. "Good. I'd hate to lose a friend over a stupid feud." She sighed as she turned to the front of the class, opening her notebook as the teacher came in. "Just don't ask me to be friends with her, and we're good," Videl added.

Their teacher began to speak, and Videl's radio watch buzzed. She held up a finger to the teacher before pressing the open line button and responding, "Videl."

"Videl! The Mayor has been taken hostage by the Red Shark Gang. They are demanding a fight with you and your father. We have them surrounded, but they have us outgunned, and the Mayor's life is in danger. They've already blown up one of our cars."

"Calm down, officer," Videl ordered over the radio. "Where are they holding him?"

"City Hall. Hurry." The line buzzed out as the transaction ended.

Videl jumped up from her chair and looked at the teacher. "Permission to be –"

"Excused, yes. Go," their teacher interrupted her, gesturing for the door. Videl nodded as she sprinted out to go save the day.

Gohan's heart started to pound. A gang that had the police outgunned? It would be nothing for him, but Videl was still only a human, a somewhat weak one at that. She'd be killed. Gohan's hand shot in the air. "Yes, Gohan?"

"May I go to the bathroom?" he asked quickly.

Their teacher's eyes narrowed at the demi-saiyan as he stated incredulously, "Mr. Gohan, you have a nasty habit of not _returning_ from the restroom. So, I'm going to have to tell you to hold it," the teacher answered, returning to his lesson.

Gohan could only stare after the teacher in shock at that response. "But Sir, it's urgent!"

The teacher turned back to him with an eyebrow raised, "So 'urgent' you couldn't take care of it _before_ class?" When Gohan couldn't answer the teacher nodded knowingly with a sigh. "The answer is no, Gohan. Now back to the lesson."

The teacher returned back to the front of the class, writing a couple problems on the board. Gohan could barely contain his nerves. His fingers twirled his pencil as he thought, and his ankle shook up and down as he tried to think. How on earth was he going to make it out of the classroom without blowing his cover? He didn't notice the ceiling dust falling on his desk until one of his classmates shrieked, "EARTHQUAKE!" He looked up, finally taking in his surroundings as the classroom shook with wreckless abandon as the teacher ordered all the students to hide under their desks, as they were supposed to for an Earthquake drill. It was then he noticed it shook with every tap of his foot, and he slowed is tapping before jumping up and running for the door, not noticing the other Saiyan in the room running after him.

He got to the roof quickly, hitting the button on his watch to change into his costume. "GOHAN, WAIT!" he heard just as he was going to leap off the roof. He turned, seeing Mia standing there with worried eyes, the most emotion he saw in her all week. "Don't go."

He gave her a confused look. "Did you not hear? There's a gang of guys with guns. Videl could die."

"She knows that going in!" Mia snapped. "And she went anyway!"

Gohan was taken aback by that remark. He shook his head, as if he couldn't believe her. "Well, I'm not going to let her die," he stated, jumping up into the air.

Mia jumped up as well, splaying herself out in front of him, blocking his flight path. "Please, Gohan. I'm begging you. Don't go."

"Why?" he growled.

Mia licked her lips nervously before replying, "I'm not really allowed to tell." Gohan shook his head as he went to fly over her, but Mia got in front of him again. "My Mom's undercover in the Red Shark Gang. She's there, I just know it! We can't blow her cover," Mia answered in a rush, her eyes full of concern. "Gohan, _please_."

"What do you mean 'She's undercover'?" Gohan asked with a frown.

Mia ran a hand through her hair, something he'd seen Vegeta do when he was stressed out a little. "One of the higher ups of the Red Shark Gang was in that robbery you stopped weeks ago as the Gold Fighter. Remember?" Gohan nodded in response, but his frown told her he was still confused. "Well, his prints and car were identified in a homicide case that had been open for a year, even though he wasn't the main suspect. My mom was in charge of his interrogation, and she got him to agree to a plea deal by helping her go undercover to get the actual guy who was responsible. That guy responsible is the head of the Red Shark Gang. If she gets him, the whole gang goes down.

"Please, Gohan. We can't blow her cover by swooping in now. All of her work from the last three weeks will have meant nothing, and more people might die because of it, including my Mom who'll become a target." She was crying by the end of her speech, begging Gohan to stay at school. "Please, Gohan, she's all I've got," she added, letting the tears fall freely from her face.

Gohan froze as he looked at the Saiyan princess break down in front of him. His gut urged him forward, pulling Mia into an embrace, trying to calm her sobs. He rubbed a gloved hand over her back as she hiccupped into his chest. "It's alright. I'll stay. I won't go," he promised softly.

* * *

Videl touched down behind the line of cop cars before jumping out and walking through the line. A police officer offered her a Kevlar vest, which she turned down. "They want a fight, that's all," Videl stated, raising her hands to show the thugs that she wasn't armed.

"Videl, stop. We need a plan," the head police officer called to her.

"We have a plan," she replied blandly, "I go in and beat the shit out of them, then you come in and make some arrests. Problem solved."

The officer opened his mouth to protest, but she was already walking up through the gate which slammed divisively shut after her. She was met with four thugs, one caused her eyes to go wide. There were three guys, two of them from the day before and another the size of a behemoth. The mayor nervously looking around in his bonds behind them. Then there was a woman, a woman Videl knew. Her curly hair and peeved glare was unmistakable. She had seen her in many parent teacher conferences and principle meetings as a child when she and Mia had a fight. Not to mention the many times she helped bring someone into the police station. But what was she doing here?

"So the little girl comes to play," the big thug sneered. "Is this the Satan girl?"

"Yeah, boss, that's her," purple shirt answered.

The boss cracked his knuckles as he stepped up. "Well, little girl, where's Daddy? I was expecting a fight, but he's a no show."

Videl shrugged, dropping her hands slowly. "My father's a busy man. He doesn't have time for every gun-toting thug who wants to fight him. So…" she smiled as she put her fists up in front of her face, "sorry, but you're stuck with me."

"Sorry," the boss replied with a smirk, "You've got spunk, but I'm not your fight." He side stepped and looked at the woman. "Siyaka, you're up."

Videl dropped her fists as she looked at the group confused. "S-she's not a hostage?"

Siyaka stepped forward, a nervous look on her face. Unless she could get to Videl now, and inform her on the mission, Siyaka's cover would be blown.

The boss laughed heartily. "Hostage? No dear girl, she's one of my best fighters."

Videl's expression turned from confused to a mix of betrayed and condescending. "Is that it? Being a detective not paying enough, so you decided to join a gang…"

Siyaka was on her quick, with a punch cutting the Satan girl off. "Shut up," Siyaka hissed dangerously under her breath. It wasn't a hard punch, but it was enough to knock Videl on her ass and give her a bloody lip.

But Siyaka was too late. Videl held her jaw as she wiped the blood from her lip on her thumb. "What do you mean Detective?" the boss asked, his tone full of confusion. Then something dawned in his mind. "You were supposed to be an errand boy," he muttered to himself.

"The girl's delusional," Siyaka tried to cover as she turned back to the team she had been working with the past several weeks. But she could see the cogs turning in Rock's mind. He was figuring her out.

Rock looked at her with a weird glint in his eyes as he stated, "I'm not so sure she is. Tell me, Siyaka, what charges did you claim to be arrested with?"

"Grand theft auto," Siyaka spit out quickly. "You aren't actually entertaining this drivel, are you?"

He quirked his head as if he weren't sure before stating, "Prove it." His gaze shifted to the blue-eyed savior on the ground whose gaze shifted unsteadily between Rock and Siyaka. "Kill the mayor."

"What?" Siyaka and Videl asked almost together.

"You heard me," Rock replied, his eyes narrowing. "If you're the cold-blooded torturer and killer you've led us to believe you are, then there should be no problem."

Siyaka's eyes shifted over to the mayor who was cowering in his bonds, crying at the prospect of death. "Except the fact we are surrounded by cops, and I'll be wanted for murder," Siyaka reasoned, hoping he'd let it go.

"We have them outgunned, and they know it," Johnny called back to her with a bark of a laugh. "Just show us who you are."

Rock's gaze was trained on Siyaka as he added, "Prove you're one of us."

Siyaka's heart dropped. If she killed the Mayor or even Videl right now to prove she was one of them, she would not be welcomed back in the precinct. Her annoyed glare shifted to Videl as she breathed out. Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut? She pursed her lips before answering, "No."

"Wrong answer," Rock replied before a loud bang of a gunshot went off, Siyaka wasn't sure where from, but she heard the bullet coming towards her. In a flash, she reached up stopping the bullet with her hand, turned back to face the thugs. Rock had his hand raised as a signal to Ray, who held the smoking gun. All three stared at her with eyes wide at her inhuman speed and strength.

Siyaka smirked, dropping the bullet on the ground. "Wrong move." She set herself in a fighting stance in front of Videl as the thugs recovered from their shock.

"Guns!" Rock yelled out, diving for the bazooka they brought with them as Johnny and Ray started firing their machine guns. Siyaka called out, forcing her ki around her, creating a barrier stopping the bullets around her and Videl. Videl eyes were wide as she looked at the woman in front of her. What was she?

When the first lull in bullets came around, Siyaka made her move. In the blink of an eye, Siyaka was behind the men, and with a swift blow to the neck, she knocked the biggest one out as if it were nothing. Ray and Johnny dove for the falling bazooka, but with two swift kicks, Johnny went flying into the courtyard wall, and Ray into the building windows, crashing through them. "Get the mayor out of here!" Siyaka called to Videl, not looking at her. When she didn't move, Siyaka snapped at her louder, her voice a sharp and dangerous growl. "Get your ass up and go, Girl!"

Johnny groaned as he regained his composure, wiping at his mouth, where blood dribbled out the side. He stood up slowly, and Siyaka readied herself for attack.

Videl slowly got up, sneaking over to the mayor to untie his binds. As she tried to calm the mayor down, who was already in hysterics, there was a tinkling of shattered glass, drawing Videl's attention away. "Get away from him, Girly," Ray said, pointing a pistol at her. Videl put her hands up calmly, stepping away from the mayor. Ray smiled, letting out a small chuckle. "Well, this whole thing went poorly," he added with a step forward, pushing Videl to step back. She growled at the thug as she did what he urged. "Maybe," he thought outloud, "maybe I should just kill you and the mayor. Save our skins and take you out of the game."

"Killing me won't save you," Videl growled as she took another step back. Right now, she kinda wished she had taken the Kevlar.

Ray's smile grew. "Let's see about that." A loud bang went off as he pulled the trigger, or so Videl thought. There was an exploding pain in her left arm, a couple inches away from her heart. Her eyes snapped open in shock. She wasn't even aware she closed them, bracing for the bullet. She could see Siyaka had hit Ray's arm, breaking his humerus, the bone sticking out of his arm as he screamed. Siyaka then swifly cut off his screaming by knocking him out with a swift karate chop to the base of his neck. Videl held a gloved hand to her bleeding arm as she looked around. All the thugs were knocked out. There was a puddle under the mayor. And Detective Jicama, Mia's mother stood in front of her with a scowl, not even breathless.

"I-I" Videl sputtered out, unable to finish her thought.

"I was undercover," Siyaka growled. "Not dirty." Videl nodded, not sure how to form her words. Siyaka gestured to outside the wall. "Go get the squad," the saiyan eyed her bloody arm, adding, "and go see a medic about that." Videl blankly nodded, breathlessly making her way out of the city hall gates, and passing out at the cars.

* * *

"This was an absolute failure," the captain huffed, staring out the window with a frown. Siyaka stood in his office, her onyx gaze trained on the ground. "The undercover mission barely got any information except for the names of the people who owe Louis money. Now you're cover's blown, Videl's been shot and is in the hospital, and we can't find Ricky to warn him and get him in witness protection." The captain let out a sigh before turning to her. "We've listened to your tapes, and as captain, I feel it's best if you take a break, see a shrink about what you were forced to do."

"A break?" Siyaka asked, her head snapping up. "No, sir. That's not necessary."

"Torturing people when you're undercover can cause some serious psychological trauma," the captain interrupted. "I don't need one of my detectives suffering PTSD in interrogation." He put his hands on the desk, sitting down in his chair. "This is an order, Jicama, not a request."

Siyaka frowned, but nodded. "How long, sir?"

"At least a month," the captain replied, "but really, until the shrink signs off on your release."

Siyaka didn't agree, but at the same, she wasn't about to argue with the captain. It never worked out in her favor anyway. "Yes sir."

The captain nodded, opening his desk drawer. "You'll be on paid leave, so don't worry about that." He gave her a pitying expression as he added, "I'm sorry to ask for this, but I need your gun and badge until the shrink signs off on your release." Siyaka shook her head with a huff as she reached in her back for her gun holster and badge that she grabbed from her desk when she got in the office. She placed them in the captain's outstretched hands, who grasped them and placed them in the drawer. He gave her a small smile as he shut the drawer. "Enjoy your time off, Jicama." Siyaka nodded wordlessly before turning on her heel and leaving the station.

* * *

Word had gotten around the school quickly about Videl's condition after an officer came in delivered the news to the teachers. Mia understood Gohan going to visit her at the hospital right after school. They were friends after all. Mia knew that. She couldn't help the small pang of jealousy that ran through her seeing the concern in his eyes when he heard Videl was in the hospital with a gunshot wound. She kept her head down as she walked through the front door of her apartment. "Uncle Rito, I'm home!"

When she didn't hear anything, she looked up and saw her mother sitting in the living room, her gaze focused on the outside. "Mom!" she cried out, feeling tears pricking her eyes. It had been so long since she'd seen her, and so much had happened. Siyaka's gaze fell on Mia, and a small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. Mia didn't need her mom to say anything as she ran forward, almost tackling her. "Oh, Mom, thank god you're home!"

"Hey," Siyaka said, patting Mia gently on the back as her daughter cried into her shoulder and curly black hair. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Oh, Mom. So much. I'm such an idiot. I've needed to talk to you," Mia cried. She shook her head, trying to dry her tears. Mia pulled back, looking at her mother as she asked, "Are you done with the gang?"

Siyaka frowned as she sighed, "Videl blew my cover today. I can't go back now. They've put me on paid leave until I'm considered psychologically ready to go back on the force."

"I'm sorry," Mia apologized, "but I'm glad you're home."

Siyaka looked at her daughter with concern. "What's wrong?"

"I-I fell for a guy," Mia sobbed, wiping her tearful eyes, "and I completely fucked it up! He doesn't like me like that, and now I've made it awkward because he knows, and I'm not even sure we can be friends anymore."

Siyaka's gaze filled with pity, gesturing to her daughter to lean on her. Mia took her offer, resting her head on her mother's shoulder as she cried. Siyaka ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, feeling Mia's despair at falling for the wrong guy so early. "You'll be alright," Siyaka soothed, "I'm here." Siyaka tried to sooth her. She could feel the familiar hum of her mother singing. It wasn't something she did often, but she did it whenever Mia was inconsolable. The Saiyan Lullaby was always a last ditch effort to calm Mia down. And it usually worked.

" _Little child, hear my voice._

 _I'm with you in the dark night._

 _Oh little child, you'll grow and find_

 _Your strengthened inner light._

 _So, little child, don't you fret._

 _The dark is soon to pass._

 _And when the sun shows again,_

 _You're fear will leave at last."_

* * *

The weekend came by quickly, and Mia couldn't be more grateful. Gohan finally gave her some space the past couple days, but she noticed he kept giving her glances that kept her heart hoping. It was starting to get frustrating. Mia had been making her and her mom a pizza as a Saturday afternoon snack as Siyaka set up a movie for them to watch. That was when they heard it. A knock on the door, followed by fast heavy footsteps leaving the apartment.

Siyaka furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before ordering, "Go see what that was."

Mia nodded, stepping to the entryway and swinging open the door. She eyed the cooler on their doorstep oddly. "A-are you expecting a package or something?"

"Package?" Siyaka repeated oddly, stepping in the space behind her daughter. It was indeed a blue and white cooler just sitting on their stoop. Curiosity got the better of her, and she knelt down to open it. A gasp left her mouth as her eyes went wide at the scene. She almost gagged as she heard her daughter start screaming out of fear and disgust. Inside the cooler was the head of Ricky from the Red Shark Gang wrapped inside a plastic bag, his eyes wide and sagging and blood pooling in the bottom of the bag. His jaw hung open wide, and stuffed inside it was a dead black rat.

* * *

AN: I hope you all liked the chapter. The lullaby is to the tune of "Noble Maiden Fair" from Brave. Please remember to leave a review!


	7. Chapter 6

AN: Hi all. I finally finished the chapter. I know. It took me forever. But it's a long one, almost 20 pages, longest chapter so far. And a lot went into this chapter. A lot of necessary stuff went into this chapter. And we are getting close to when shit goes down. Also, I feel I should mention that Siyaka is pronounced SIGH-ACHE-AH, which will make sense why I'm telling you now later in the chapter. Some of you will also notice that I've changed the groupings of the chapters since this is going to be a loooooong story. I have plans for it, but it will be loooooooong. So, I've put it into Sagas (I figured DBZ was, why not just run parallel). Anyway, onto the chapter!

Also, remember to check out my book on Amazon, Midnight Over Moores. And always remember to review after reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

Chapter 6

Hiding Out

"Is this how you found him?" Rito asked, looking at the cooler speculatively, his gloved hands holding up the lid. Naturally the first person Siyaka called about the head on her doorstep was her partner. Siyaka nodded. Rito huffed as he closed the cooler, adding, "There's no way they could have figured out your address so quickly unless they had someone working for them. A dirty cop."

Siyaka rose an eyebrow. "You think someone from our side is feeding them information?"

Rito nodded.

Mia raised an eyebrow, twitching her fingers against the glass of water. "Wait a minute. Why couldn't they just look her up on the internet?" Rito and Siyaka shifted their gazes to her. "They knew your name right? And they knew you lived in Satan City," Mia continued pointing out. "That's all they would need to look you up on the internet and find your address."

Siyaka shook her head. "Not necessarily. That shows the person's mailing address, which we use a PO box. Someone we know would have had to give them directions." Rito nodded. "That means one of the cops most likely."

"If that's the case, witness protection is out," Rito stated, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together, making a squeaking noise as he thought. "Do you know anyone you can stay with who lives outside the city?" Siyaka furrowed her brow as she thought. "And I don't mean just outside the city," he clarified, his eyes serious and full of worry. "I mean far enough away people wouldn't think to look for you there?"

Siyaka shook her head. "No, we don't."

"Yes, I do," Mia replied in a small voice just behind her mom. Rito and Siyaka both turned to look at Mia, curious frowns on their faces. Her gaze remained glued to the table. "I'll go call him to see if it's ok." Mia shot up from the table, not looking at them.

She could hear her mother from the kitchen ask, "'Him'? Do you know who she's talking about?"

Rito didn't answer.

Mia searched through her phone in her bedroom for Gohan's number in her contacts. She knew this was going to be awkward to ask him after trying to ignore him for a week, but she had to at least try. She found it and hit call, nervously sitting on her bed. It rang once, twice, thre-

"Hello? Son residence?" a woman said on the line, her voice sounding like a bell.

"Hi," Mia breathed into the receiver. It was his mother. It had to be. "I'm looking for Gohan. I'm a classmate –"

The woman cut her off as she said, "We were just about to sit down for dinner. Would you mind calling back?"

"Please ma'am," Mia replied quickly, "it's urgent."

She heard the woman huff under her breath, "Rude," before she called out, "Gohan! There's a girl for you on the phone." There was a pause before she asked in a slightly lower tone, "Why are you giving our number out to strange girls? You're supposed to be doing school work at school. Not hitting on classmates."

"Mom, can I have the phone?" she heard him huff. There was a rustling as the phone switched hands. "Hello?" he said into the receiver.

"Hi, Gohan," Mia said in a small voice.

"Mia," he rasped, his voice full of relief. "Wh-what are you -?"

"Gohan, I kinda need to be quick about this," Mia started, cutting off his confused stuttering. "I know I have no right to be asking you for a favor after I've been ignoring you this week, and I'm sorry. But my mom and I need a place out of the city to hide. Her cover was blown and … a-and," her voice started to crack as she felt the tears start coming down her face. "W-we got this package … a-and…" She couldn't say it. The thought just made her sick to her stomach. She skipped it, trying hard to control her sobbing, "Witness protection is o-out, according to R-Rito and Mom, since it's likely a-a dirty cop wh-who gave out our information… I-I'm sorry, but you're the only one I could th-think of."

"Hold on, Mia," Gohan breathed. She could hear his hand cover the receiver as he asked, "Mom." His voice went hushed, and she could hear his mother be taken aback by what he had told her.

"She wants to what?!" his mother shrieked. "Absolutely not!"

"Please, Mom," Gohan started. "They have no one else to turn to."

It was silent for a moment. "Fine. But nothing funny is going to happen. I'll be watching both of you like a hawk."

"What?! Mom!" Gohan gasped hysterically. "I-it's not like that!" There was another long pause before she heard Gohan huff and remove his hand from the receiver. "You can hide out here. We've got my dad's childhood home next door redone, so you can stay there until things cool down."

"Thank you, Gohan. I … we owe you."

"Do you need any help flying over here?"

"M-maybe. Meet at my apartment in an hour?"

"Will do. See ya." He hung up, and Mia dropped her phone with a sigh. She stepped out of her room to see Rito and Siyaka leaning against the opposing wall.

"I-I have a classmate whose family lives in the 439 district. He goes home on the weekends," she half fibbed to the adults. "They have a guest house on their property that we can stay in."

Rito's eyebrows shot up. "439? That's six-hundred some miles out." He paused before adding. "It'll have to do. Do you need to borrow my car?"

Siyaka started to speak, but Mia interjected, "No. It's apparently a little difficult to get to. He's on his way here to get us."

"That's going to be hours," Rito said with a frown.

"Which gives us time to pack," Mia countered.

Siyaka eyed her daughter strangely. "What's going on Mia?"

Mia's gaze shifted to the cooler still on the counter, her face twisting into a sickened frown. "N-nothing," she breathed. "I just want it gone."

Rito nodded. "I should go ahead and take it for processing. Maybe I can find some prints on the cooler or the…" his voice went quiet as he shot Mia a careful look, "the contents." Siyaka shot a weird gaze to her daughter as she followed him to the kitchen. He grabbed the handle of the cooler with his gloved hand. "I'll call this in and we'll get this figured out soon," he whispered.

"Thanks," Siyaka replied.

"Another thing," Rito added, "Mia shouldn't be going to school right now. If they can find your home, they can definitely find her at school."

"What do you suggest?"

Rito gave her a small smile as he chuckled, "Mono?"

Siyaka gave him a strange frown. "Mono?"

"Yeah," Rito said. "Gives her a reason to be out of school for a month without too much suspicion. All you gotta do is call the school and say she contracted Mono. At least she won't be truant."

"Right," Siyaka replied, chewing the side of her lip.

Rito pulled her into a half hug with his free hand as he said, "Stay safe." Siyaka nodded, giving him a nonverbal promise. He made his way out, pulling out his cellphone as he called the police captain, updating him on what had just happened.

"Mia," Siyaka called out just as the teenage Saiyan was about to walk back into her room. When Siyaka saw she got her daughter's attention she asked, "What's going on? The boy you called, who is he?"

"H-he's a friend?" Mia mumbled, not meeting her mother's gaze.

"A friend?" Siyaka questioned, her onyx eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. Mia felt like one of the criminals in her mother's interrogation room. "What kind of friend? Why haven't I met him?"

"He just started school a month ago," Mia answered. "And he's just a friend."

"A month ago?" Siyaka asked. _That was about when I went undercover, so it makes a sort of sense_. "Has Rito met him?"

Mia nodded. "He came by once while Rito was here." Mia sighed. "Mom, we really need to pack. He'll be here soon."

Siyaka's brow shot up. "I thought you said he was driving from 439."

"No, he's flying," Mia corrected, trying to go to her room. _So, he's a rich kid from 439,_ Siyaka inferred.

"So, where's he going to land?" Siyaka asked, her tone clipped. Clearly, they were supposed to make a quiet getaway, but with this kid flying in, that plan was shot.

Mia shrugged as she pulled out a suitcase and threw it on her bed. "I dunno. The roof, I guess." She stopped with a huff, before looking at her mom with a skeptical expression. "Look, Mom. I know you want to get all the information you can, but we need to pack now. I promise, he and I will explain everything on the way."

Siyaka scowled, but said, "Fine. But you better tell me everything, Missy." She went back to her room to pack.

It wasn't long before there was a knock on the apartment door. "Got it!" Mia called out. The door swung open as she greeted, "Hi, Gohan." Siyaka stepped out of her room, taking a few steps down the hallway to see a tall young man, pitch-black spiky hair, and ebony colored eyes. But what got Siyaka the most was his bone structure. He looked so familiar. But at the same time, she couldn't place it. "Thank you for your help."

"Well, what was I gonna do?" he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head with a smile. "Tell you to figure things out yourself?"

"Still," Mia sighed, "thanks."

Mia turned to see her mother's calculating frown on both of the teens, as if trying to piece them together. "Uhm, Gohan, this is my mom. Mom, this is Gohan."

Gohan stuck his hand out with a good-natured smile. "Pleasure."

Siyaka's eyes narrowed as she eyed the boy. "Right." Her gaze remained trained on the two teens before Mia made an awkward cough and muttered, "I'll go grab my bag," excusing herself to her room. Gohan tried to avoid Siyaka's intense judging gaze, scuffing his shoe on the floor, his eyes finding the tile on the floor incredibly interesting, apparently. "Thank you," Siyaka finally huffed. _Rich kid or not, he didn't have to let us borrow his house,_ she thought.

Gohan looked up, a little surprise in his eyes. "Really, it's no problem, Ma'am," he replied with a small smile. "Do you need help with your bag?"

Siyaka scoffed as she turned around, heading back to her room, "No, I got it." She heard Gohan release an unsteady breath as she grabbed her bags. She had packed an extra bag full of hers and Mia's paperwork in case something happened to the apartment. She made sure she also grabbed the Saiyan records for a few reasons, like if someone found them, they could prove that they were aliens, being the more likely of reasons. She hauled the bags out to the foyer where Mia stood with a large bag in her hands and her backpack on her back.

Gohan eyed both women with a pleasant smile before asking, "Ready to go?"

Siyaka gave a small nod, urging them out the door. Gohan walked out first, Mia following closely behind him, with Siyaka bringing up the rear, shutting off lights as she passed through the rooms. Once she locked the apartment door, she followed Gohan and Mia up the stairs to the roof where she found … nothing to her surprise. _Maybe he capsulated it._

"Nimbus!" he called out loudly, earning a frown from both of the Jicama women. In flew a yellow cloud, skidding to a stop in front of Gohan. Siyaka was at a complete loss for words as Gohan stated, "You can put your bags on the Nimbus. He'll carry them for you."

Mia's mouth hung open as she tried to form the words. "Th-that's a cloud."

Gohan raised an eyebrow at her as he laughed, "This can't be the weirdest thing you've seen. I mean, you can turn into an ape at the full moon, yet you can't wrap your mind around a cloud?"

"What did you tell him?" Siyaka hissed to her daughter.

"Nothing," Mia defended.

"No, I already knew about Saiyans," Gohan answered quickly, raising his hands in defense.

Siyaka's eyes went wide. _Well, that explains why they are close friends. But how does he…?_

"Gohan, clouds don't have a mass. So how can this hold our bags?"

Gohan shrugged, "It's magical. No way to really explain it."

Mia blinked at him as if he were crazy, but did as he suggested, and put her large bag on the yellow cloud. It held … surprisingly. Mia shook her head with a small laugh. "That's so weird." Siyaka didn't move, allowing Mia to grab her bag and heft it onto the cloud.

"Well, let's go," Gohan started, hovering into the air, Mia following after him.

That's when Siyaka realized what was going on, shaking her head and scoffing at her own ignorance, "Idiot." She looked at the teens in front of her with a disappointed scowl. "Saiyaman and Saiyagirl. _Saiyan-man and Saiyan-girl_. You're a Saiyan too, right?"

"Half," Gohan replied with a small nod.

Siyaka chewed the inside of her cheek as she added, "So, safe to assume you're the Gold Fighter, too, right?" Gohan nodded again, nervously this time. He knew Siyaka was assigned to arrest him, but he prayed that allowing her to stay with his family would change her mind on bringing him in.

"Mom, please don't …"

"Oh, I'm not gonna do anything," Siyaka sighed, as they begun to fly out of the city. "Nothing I _could_ do if I wanted. I can't bring in some black haired, black eyed teen and claim he's an alien that can change his hair blond. My badge would be revoked faster than you can get a Saiyan to a dinner table." Gohan let out a small laugh at the new euphemism. "Plus," she added under her breath, "I'm off the force until I'm cleared by a psychologist.

"Not only that," she finished, chewing the inside of her lip, "but you're my daughter, and I'd never turn you in."

"Thank you," Gohan said.

"So," Siyaka huffed, moving on, "you must be Kakarrot's son. I must say, I'm curious to see how he is as an adult. Last I saw him, he was giving Gine trouble, falling off any high surface he could climb onto."

Gohan's eyebrows furrowed as he looked back at the older Saiyan. "Gine?"

"You're grandmother," Siyaka filled in as they dodged a flock of birds. "He must have told you about her. He was three when they shipped him off here, so he should remember his parents."

Gohan's face fell. "No, he didn't." It was quiet for a minute before Gohan asked, "You met him when he was little?"

Siyaka nodded. "Raditz took me by their house before the mission we went on when Vegeta exploded. I was six, as was Raditz. Gine was trying her hardest to handle the customers coming into her shop and Kakarrot, who wouldn't stop trying to eat the meat."

"Meat?"

"Gine was the best butcher in the Saiyan capital," Siyaka explained. "Saiyans would fly in from other parts of the globe for her jerky and homemade sausages."

Gohan frowned. "She wasn't a warrior? I thought all Saiyans were raised to be fighters." _A proud Saiyan warrior._ That's what Vegeta said all the time, that all Saiyans were strong, battle-hungry warriors, and not to be one was disgraceful. It was a small shock to hear his grandmother on his Saiyan half was so … well, normal.

Siyaka shot him a strange look as she replied, "No, not all Saiyans were raised to be fighters. There were places for all sorts in our culture, otherwise our civilization would have collapsed easily. For example, I was supposed to follow in my mother's footsteps as being the Keeper of the Saiyan Culture, and become well learned in Saiyan history and lore to advise the King. Well, - that was before the king put me on V's team after our betrothal was announced." Siyaka shook her head. "Your grandmother was different. Raditz told me once it was because she used to be on Bardock's team, but he kept having to save her so much that he told her to leave the team. She had the power of a fighter, but not the heart. So, she became the best butcher on Vegeta."

"Bardock?"

"Her mate. Kakarrot's and Raditz's father," Siyaka answered. She huffed as she realized that this boy knew nothing of his Saiyan heritage. There was so much to tell him, teach him. That meant she'd have to go through all the information again with Kakarrot. "I'll explain more when we reach our destination."

Gohan nodded. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

"I am curious, however," Siyaka added with a small smile, "who told you all Saiyans were warriors?" She looked out over the sun-setting horizon as she said, "They were sorely mistaken."

"V-Vegeta," Gohan answered nervously.

Mia shot a strange look to both Gohan and Siyaka. She didn't know much of what living among Saiyans was like either, but from what Siyaka had told her, Gohan's understanding was completely wrong, and in turn, her father's. Yes, Saiyans were strong. And yes, they had the urge to fight and face any opponent or challenge. Yes, the urge and instinct for battle was strong in every Saiyan. But was fighting all that there was to being a Saiyan? No. Even Mia knew that.

Siyaka shook her head. _So, he does know V. But if that's what V has told him of being a Saiyan, how much of our history is lost to our Prince?_ "His time under Frieza must have jaded his memory of our race," Siyaka said in a small voice, biting her lower lip a little to ease the pain in her heart. How much had her V forgotten?

"Hey, Gohan?" Mia started, changing the subject.

He looked over to her. "Yeah?"

"I-I'm not going to be able to go to school, but I really don't want to fall behind this close to graduation," she continued. "Could you grab my classwork?"

"Uh, sure, no problem," he replied with a smile. He looked down, seeing his home and grinned. "We're here!" They began their descent, landing in front of a white-domed house with a wooden standard home attached at the back. Gohan immediately began to grab their bags off the nimbus as Mia and Siyaka took in their new home for the next month, or at least until Rito cleared the problem. There was a red symbol attached to the wooden door of the round part of the house. Not far off to the side, there was another standard house, this one red and white with a navy blue roof. Attached to its back looked to be two more small white-domed houses. It wasn't as big as the main house, which made Mia assume that was Kakarrot's childhood home, where they'd be staying.

From the larger house, outstepped a beautiful woman, who looked rather young for having a child about to graduate from high school, and a young child wearing a light blue tunic with puffy yellow pants. His hair was wild, poking out in strange directions that made Siyaka give a small smile. He was a dead ringer for the young Kakarrot that Siyaka had met so many years ago.

Mia could see where Gohan got most of his looks from now seeing who she assumed was his mother. He had her skin tone, her eyes, and even her strong and poised jaw line. His hair was tamer than a usual Saiyan's, unlike his little brother. Gohan's hair stood straighter, like his mother's which was pulled back into a sleek bun.

She eyed the Saiyan women suspiciously, her hands on her hips as she looked at them. Her legs set a part in a power stance, showing off the blue pants and purple boots beneath her yellow dress. "Who're your friends, Gohan?" the little boy asked excitedly.

"This is my classmate, Mia, and her mother …" He paused trying to think of her name.

"Siyaka," the curly-haired Saiyan filled in with a smile, giving a small bow with her head. "Thank you for letting us stay with you."

"Mia, this is my Mom," Gohan started, pointing to the dark haired woman.

The little boy piped up, interrupting Gohan as he said, "And I'm Goten!"

Mia smiled and waved to the little boy. His grin was infectious. "He's cute," Mia giggled.

Siyaka rolled her eyes before she asked, "Is Kakarrot out training?"

Gohan and Chichi froze, and Siyaka immediately felt the tension in the air from her small question. "Kakarrot?" Chichi shot a strange look to her eldest. "How do they know that name?"

"Uh," Gohan breathed nervously.

Chichi was starting to glare. "How do they know that name?" she asked again, her frown turning into a glower.

"They're Saiyans, Mom." Chichi's eyes went wide, her eyebrows in her hairline. "Mom, breathe."

She waved him off as she turned back to go into the house, saying in a small voice, "I need to cook more food." Goten followed his mom back into the house, asking her what was wrong, if she was okay.

Gohan let out a long string of breath before turning to their guests, his hands in his pockets and his face contorted in a frown. His voice was quiet as he filled in, "Uhm, my Dad's been dead since Cell."

Mia looked to the ground awkwardly as Siyaka cursed herself under her breath. "I'm sorry. It still must be hard on your family," she offered.

Gohan shook his head. "Don't be hard on yourself," he replied with a small smile, "you couldn't have known." He gestured back to his house. "Why don't you come on in? Enjoy some dinner? Then we can get you settled in the guest house."

Siyaka gestured Mia forward, who walked into the house, her mother and classmate following behind her. Chichi stood at the oven with a massive pot full of rice cooking as she muttered to herself about more Saiyans in the house. Siyaka walked over to her quickly, a friendly smile on her face as she asked, "How can I help?" Chichi eyed her strangely. Never had Chichi ever heard of a Saiyan cooking. "I'm really good with vegetables."

Chichi sighed, rubbing her temples. "Can you chop and sauté the squash?"

Siyaka grinned. "On it," she announced, snatching up a knife and cutting board and starting to chop up the squash with an inhuman speed.

Gohan leaned to Mia, opening his mouth to speak but was interrupted by his little brother pointing to the tv screen. "It's Chobi!" he squealed.

Gohan looked up, seeing a green baby dinosaur being whipped on the screen, advertising the new circus in Satan City for the next week. The ringmaster whipped the baby for tricks while the dino just cried and cried. "Oh, my. He looks absolutely terrified," Chichi mustered, her fist on her hips as she watched the screen. She placed a platter of rolls on the table as she asked, "Do you know him?"

"Yeah," Gohan replied with a frown. "His nest isn't far from here, and we've known his dad for years." He bit the inside of his cheek, worry on his face. "Toto is not going to be happy about this."

"You have to do something, Gohan! Please?" Goten urged, his black eyes full of tears as his lower lip jutted out in a pout. Siyaka worked hard to contain her smile, seeing the same face the boys' father made so many decades ago replicated so perfectly the little seven-year-old. It was like looking back in time.

"Don't worry, squirt. Mia and I will make sure he gets back home safe and sound, right?" Gohan grinned, turning to his classmate.

Mia eyed him, his grin causing a pang in her chest. "Uh." She turned to the little boy in front of her, crocodile tears threatening to spill over his cheeks. He was too cute. She couldn't say no to the little kid. "Sure," she said with a small smile.

Siyaka scoffed over the stove, muttering, "Mia at a Circus. That should be entertaining."

Mia pursed her lips as Gohan shot the older Saiyan a curious look. With a sigh, Mia reached forward, snagging a few rolls from the table. "I'm actually not terribly hungry," Mia began dismissing herself, hoping for a quick getaway.

"Put the rolls down and grab a seat," Siyaka ordered, cutting her daughter a sly glance. Mia huffed and did as she said. Of course her mom was going to make her sit through a meal with her crush and his family. Chichi barely suppressed a smile at the display. Something told Mia that Siyaka and Chichi just might become best friends through this ordeal, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, it'd be a shame if you missed out on Mom's food," little Goten laughed, sitting eagerly at the table next to her. Gohan nodded in agreement.

Mia pursed her lips, then smiled. She could see Gohan eyeing her hopefully, as if their friendship was good now. It wasn't. Her heart panged in her chest wishing that she could have just gone back in time and taken that one minute away. That one minute that solidified her friend-zone status. At least before she had hope. Now even that was gone. Maybe it was the hope that was more misleading than anything, and that caused her the most pain because it was all she had. Hope and a feeling, both of which were gone now. God, this dinner was going to be painful.

A minute passed before the food was put on the table and the mothers took their seats. Mia remained mostly quiet while Siyaka and Chichi talked over dinner while the two Son boys dug into their food like starved maniacs. Mia decided it was best to just stick to the three servings this time, while Siyaka dug in. Chichi was the only one who didn't eat much, but being a human, that was expected. Siyaka explained their predicament without going into the gory details in between servings. She explained that she was on paid-time off for the next month or so, and that Mia would be staying home as well until things got sorted. Chichi talked about shopping trips she had planned, mostly grocery runs, asking if Siyaka and Mia wanted to join her. They even exchanged recipes.

"Oh, this is so exciting having some girls in the house for once," Chichi cheered. Gohan rolled his eyes, clearly thinking about his mother's comments earlier over the phone. Mia smirked, catching his eyes, causing them both to chuckle at his mother. Chichi let out a sigh, getting up from the table. "Alright, Goten, you help me clear the table, and Gohan, you help them get settled in the guest house.

He eagerly jumped up from the table, guiding Mia and Siyaka out to the guest house, grabbing their bags on the way. He swung open the door dropping the bags in the main room. The front room had a sitting area and a small dining area with a kitchenette. There was a rounded door in the back that looked off with the rest of the house set-up. Clearly they had added on to it. "Through the door is the bedrooms and bathroom," Gohan explained.

"Thank you," Siyaka smiled as Mia walked into the small structure of the original house. "I think we can figure out sleeping arrangements from here." Gohan nodded, stepping outside. "Gohan," Siyaka called out, causing him to turn back to her. He could see Mia behind her still taking in everything. "Thank you, again, for letting us stay here. You didn't need to do that."

His expression adopted a slightly pained glint in his eyes as he said, "Really, it's not a problem. Goodnight, Ms. Jicama. Goodnight, Mia."

Mia remained silent as her mother shut the door with a divisive click. Siyaka eyed her daughter curiously, before clearing her throat, garnering her attention. "So," Siyaka started with a frown, "he's the guy?"

Mia bit back a sniffle as she said, "Yeah." She let out a huff, ignoring her mother's pitying gaze as she snatched her bag and announced, "I'm going to bed."

* * *

Bulma let out a sigh as she tried to sleep. This whole "ex" information had really stressed her out, more than she thought it would. She shifted in her covers, positioning her body to look at her husband. It was a rare sight that only she saw. Vegeta snoozed easily beside her, his nose flaring just a little with every small snore. His hair was wildly splayed like hers against the pillow, and the shifting in his eyes told Bulma he was in his REM sleep. No matter how often Bulma saw him like this, his face peaceful and content, she still wasn't used to it.

So far, their efforts for a second conception had not been fruitful. It boggled her mind. Trunks had been so easy. Hell, they weren't even trying to conceive then. More than that, she had taken measures not to conceive when Trunks happened. But, when they actually wanted a child, she was as barren as a desert. She didn't want to push for fertility treatments just yet, but at the same time, she wanted to get pregnant before Vegeta found out about his ex, and who knew how long before that piano would drop.

Also, last she heard from Gohan, Mia had been ignoring him. Even though she felt bad for the boy, she had to admit to herself that the reprieve of Mia meeting Vegeta eased her anxiety a little. And that made her feel worse.

"Shhhh," Vegeta mumbled in his sleep, rolling onto his back, catching Bulma's attention. She made herself perfectly still, even holding her breath as she listened. Vegeta only rarely talked in his sleep, and it was usually about Goku. "They won't find us, Sai. I promise."

Her heart froze, and her eyes went wide. If she wasn't alert before, she definitely was now. _Sai._ Was that her name? Was he dreaming about her right now, while he was in Bulma's arms? Her mind ran a mile a minute, as she muddled over the name. She felt her eyes begin to water as she pulled her arms from around him. She needed some fresh air. And by fresh air, she meant a cigarette.

She rolled away from her husband, pulling open the drawer in her nightstand and grabbing her carton and lighter. She eased out of the bed as she made her way to the bathroom. She opened up a window next to her makeup counter quickly, sitting on a small stool underneath it and slid a cigarette out of the carton. She placed the cig in her mouth, her two fingers shaking as she held it up. She fumbled with the lighter until she got a flame going, lighting the end of the stick and plopping the lighter on the counter unceremoniously. She took a shaky breath from the cigarette, closing her eyes as its effects filled her body. She pulled it away and let out a sigh, all the smoke coming with it. She pulled the ash tray on the counter close to her, tapping some ash off her cigarette. Kami, she needed to straighten out her mind. This anxiety could not be healthy, and probably wasn't helping her conceive either. She sighed before taking another drag, and looking out the window.

"Bulma?"

She looked back to the door to see her Prince, wincing at her in his boxers. She let the smoke out of her mouth as she muttered, "Hi."

"What are you doing? It's four o'clock in the morning," he asked groggily, using his thumb and forefinger to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

Bulma breathed heavily before giving him a sarcastic smile and gesturing to the cigarette. "I needed a breath of fresh air."

He frowned at her, his arms crossed in their usual stance as he huffed, "You know that's a horrible habit."

She rolled her eyes. "So is training until you can't move."

"Yes, but I'm not the one getting pregnant," he snarked back with a smirk.

Bulma pursed her lips, tapping her cigarette in the ash tray. "Well, you and I both know that I'm not pregnant yet, either," she remarked, almost bitingly. Vegeta frowned at her. Obviously, something was off. She sighed. "Sorry." She took another drag of her cigarette, letting the smoke out her nose as she added, "I'm just a little anxious that we're already too late. That, and shit going on at work."

That always threw him off her scent when she was hiding something from him. He hated hearing about her office problems, mostly because he never understood them. Sitting at a desk all day and appeasing board members was not something he even pretended to be interested in.

A small smile came on his face as he walked over to her, taking the cigarette gently out of her hands and putting it out in the tray. "We aren't too late," he reassured. "But, if it'd make you feel better, we can try again right now." His smolder was charming. But the back of her mind still nagged.

"Before that," Bulma started with a frown, "who's Sai?"

Vegeta stood upright, his eyes wide in slight panic. "Sai? H-how …?"

Bulma acted like it was no big deal, hoping he'd open up to her about it as she shook it off with a small meaningless frown as she replied, "It was just something you said in your sleep."

He let out a small breath, she could tell out of relief. "No one. Sai's no one." Bulma nodded with an easy smile, not looking in his eyes as she deduced, _Of course it was her._ "Now," Vegeta started, leaning in and drawing Bulma's attention, "Let's get to trying." He gave her a quick wink as he dove in for a kiss, sweeping her up off the stool bridal style, making her squeal, and speedily taking her back to the bed. He splayed her out, trailing kisses all down her body, as her hands found their way into his hair. His hands all over her body, their ministrations, drove all thoughts of Mia and her mother out of Bulma's mind.

* * *

"Alright, let's scout the area," Gohan urged as he and Mia landed in a secluded part of the Circus. Mia nodded, taking a sharp breath as her nervous gaze shifted around. Gohan frowned at the raven-haired princess as he asked, "Are you ok?"

"Y-yeah … just circus's tend to have -," she started, still looking around nervously, before finishing softly, "clowns."

Gohan's eyebrows shot up. "What's wrong with clowns?" he laughed. She pursed her lips and continued to look around, crossing her arms. "Wait," he said, stepping in front of her, "you aren't _afraid_ of clowns, are you?"

She gave him a small glare, then lifted her chin looking away. "Coulrophobia is not an uncommon fear," she defended as she walked towards the crowd. "Clowns are creepy, and ninety percent of the population agrees with me on that fact."

Gohan laughed, catching up with her and falling in step. "Here I thought you were fearless."

"Well, I'm more fight than flight if that makes any difference," she added as she continued to look around. In a smaller voice, she added, "which was what caused the incident in elementary school."

Gohan stopped, holding up a hand and trying to contain his laughter. "Wait, so you're telling me you had to change schools because you beat up a clown in elementary school?"

Mia winced, tilting her head to the side as she corrected, "A teacher … dressed up like a clown." Suddenly, Gohan was doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. "Hey!" Mia snapped back, holding a finger up, "you try watching the movie _IT_ as a four year-old, and see if you aren't afraid of clowns." Gohan couldn't stop laughing, to the point he was wheezing. Mia scowled at the hybrid, crossing her arms tightly and flicking her braid behind her shoulder. "It's not funny."

Gohan waved her off, trying to calm his breathing down. "I know, I know. Not funny." He calmed down a little as he muttered again, "Not funny," before he chuckled again, letting out a small snort as he tried to keep it in.

"Whatever," Mia groused, rolling her eyes. "Let's just go find that dinosaur."

Gohan followed closely behind as they entered the giant tent, taking a seat in the back row. Towards the end of the first show, they wheeled out the baby green dinosaur in a small cage, pulling him into the ring with a fancily dressed man with a whip. "That's him," Gohan whispered, shifting in his seat to see better. The circus people pulled him out and put him on a painted pedestal, where he whimpered as the fancily dressed man snapped his whip for him to do a trick. "My god, he's terrified." Gohan frowned, before he got up, whispering, "Come on." Mia followed him back out of the tent as Gohan grabbed a map and opened it up. "The owner's offices are back here," he said, pointing to a corner of the map on the other side of the grounds.

Mia shot him a strange look as she asked, "And what were you planning on doing at the office? Giving the owner your identification and saying, 'I'd like to steal your dinosaur, sir.'"

Gohan stood up straight, his brow furrowed as he inquired, "What do _you_ suggest we do?"

"Well," Mia started with a shrug, "I'd say best bet is to just take him."

Gohan scowled at her, scratching the back of his head, ruffling his spiky black hair. "Why can't we just reason with the owner? Maybe he has a good heart."

Mia rolled her onyx eyes as she scoffed, "Yeah, because a guy who thinks it's ok to kidnap baby dinosaurs from their nests can totally be convinced to listen to morals." She shook her head, and grabbed his wrist. "Just come on." She ignored his groaning, "Mia, what're you…? Stop." But she didn't miss the blush creeping onto his cheeks. She pushed him down to a crouch with her behind a pile of crates. She pointed over her shoulder to and opening in the back tent. "Over there is where Chobi will come out." Gohan frowned, then nodded. "When the coast is clear, you bend the bars on his cage and fly him out of here. I'll keep a lookout, so no one goes back there, and when you got him out, go towards the school. I'll meet you there." Gohan nodded. She moved to get up, but stopped herself as she turned back to him, grabbing his shoulder and squeezing it as she added, "Good luck."

With that, she ran off, leaving Gohan's heart racing behind the crates. He pressed the button on his watch, turning into Saiyaman as he waited for Chobi to be wheeled out. He didn't wait long. "Come on, little guy. Good show," one of the stage hands said, sitting his cage down in the back next to the tiger. The stagehand went back inside, muttering about the clean-up for the next show. That was Gohan's queue. He jumped up, appearing before the small crate.

"Hey, Chobi!" Gohan smiled. The little pterodactyl looked up, half chirping half growling. "It's me, Gohan. Let's get you out of there." Gohan gripped the bars and spread them apart with ease. He reached in, grasping the dinosaur under its wings and pulling him out. As soon as Gohan had a good grasp on Chobi, he started flying off towards their high school on the other side of town. He went slower than usual, because of the load he was carrying, but that didn't stop Chobi from crying and trying to escape Gohan's grasp. "Chobi, please," Gohan pleaded, gripping the dino tighter.

As they reached the halfway point, Gohan could feel Chobi slipping just before the dinosaur cried out as he fell. Gohan dove to catch him then landed. "Chobi, you need to stay still." He let out a sigh as he put Chobi on his back. "Maybe we should try on foot." As he started to run with Chobi, he could hear sirens come up behind him. "Shit," he cursed, trying to run faster. But that's when he heard it. Videl's plane flew just above him, and landed a few yards in front of him, causing him to skid to a stop. The police cops previously on his tail skidded to a stop behind him, creating a barricade.

Videl hopped out of her chopper and got in a fighting stance in front of him. "Well, well, well. Look who finally showed his true colors." She eyed him with a cool gaze and a smirk. "So where's your girlfriend?"

Gohan's eyes went wide. "I-I don't h-have a girlfriend," he muttered. _But where was Mia?_ He shook his head clear of thoughts of his crush as Videl stepped closer to him. "Look, Ma'am, this isn't what it looks like."

Videl scowled as she asked, "So, you aren't kidnapping a baby dinosaur from its rightful owner?" Gohan went silent, causing Videl to laugh. "That's what I thought." She put up her fists as she added, "You know, after I arrest you, you know the first thing the police are going to do is take that bucket off your head!"

"Please, Ma'am," he replied, "I don't want to fight you. I just want to return this guy to his home, before his parents find out he's missing."

"His _home_ is with the circus," Videl snapped back.

"Please, try and understand," Gohan started.

"I understand that you're an ass who thinks he's above the law. Now, fight!" Videl howled, flying at him, her fist poised for attack. He dodged her easily, but she kept swinging, and fighting back wasn't an option as long as he held onto Chobi.

Out of nowhere, Videl collapsed to the ground. Behind where she stood, Mia turned to see him with a frown. He sighed out of relief. "I was wondering where you went."

"Well, when you didn't show up at the spot, I figured you got held up. Then I heard the sirens," Mia explained, a small smirk on her face. She looked down at Videl with a small smile, as she flicked her black braid back. "Looks like she's out."

"Hey, You!" a guy with a thuggish voice snapped causing Mia and Gohan to look over the hybrid's shoulder. Behind them stood a short man in a three-piece suit who held a gun aimed at Gohan's head. If he shot, he could hit Chobi. "Now give me back my dinosaur, or one of yous is gonna get a new hole in your face."

Mia stepped forward. "I've got this." She stepped around Gohan, a smile on her face. "Look, sir. I know you don't want to fire that gun. You could hurt the dinosaur in the process."

The guy shifted his aim to Mia. "Back up, or I will shoot!"

"In front of all these cops?" Mia laughed, taking another step.

The guy pressed the trigger, and with a loud bang, the bullet shot out. Mia raised a hand, catching the single shot, and dropping the bullet on the ground. But the sound was enough to scare Chobi, who began to cry. "Shit," Gohan cursed. "Sh, Chobi, it's ok."

"Ugh," Videl groaned behind him, causing him to turn around. "What happened?" She grasped her head. Chobi continued to cry as Gohan set him on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Gohan asked, tending to Videl, as she sat up.

She clutched her head as she groaned. "Ugh, it feels like I got hit by a truck." She looked up, then saw Saiyaman. She glared at him, her purplish blue stare penetrating him as if she knew exactly who he was. "You! You stole a dinosaur!"

"Retrieved," he corrected, turning back to Chobi, trying to calm him down. "He's calling his parents. We need to calm him down before they come and destroy the city."

"Stop making excuses, and put your fists up. No dinosaur is coming to destroy…" before she could finish scoffing at the toonish hero, there was a loud screech that rang through the city. Videl looked up and her eyes went wide as she saw two giant pterodactyls flying around the city. The darker one dove first, aiming for Saiyaman and Videl.

"DUCK!" he yelled, tackling her to the ground. Videl laid sprawled out beneath him awkwardly as he picked himself up, causing Gohan to blush. "Sorry, Ma'am," he muttered awkwardly in his character voice. Videl blushed.

There was a loud crash, causing Gohan and Videl to look up at Saiyagirl standing on a downed pterodactyl, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. "If you two are done flirting, maybe I could get some help with these dinosaurs."

Gohan blinked as he looked back at the cops arresting the circus owner, and Toto circled above, ready for another dive bomb. Gohan quickly flew up and called out to the dinosaur, "Toto, stop! It's me!" Toto ignored the hybrid's pleading and dove down, aiming for Mia this time, who had pulled Videl up and moved to grab Chobi. Gohan phased in front of his classmates, punching Toto in the stomach to stop him in time. The hybrid caught him, muttering a small, "Sorry, old friend."

"Saiyaman," Videl called out, causing Gohan to turn. Her eyes went wide as she said, "You're bleeding."

"Oh," he muttered awkwardly, lifting a gloved hand up to his cut cheek. "What do you need?"

Videl looked down as she sighed, "I'm sorry for not listening in the beginning. And for calling you a thief."

Gohan nodded with a small, polite smile. Next to them, they heard something grumbling, causing them to turn and see the lighter pterodactyl waking up as Mia placed Chobi next to her. Chobi's mother stumbled to stand, allowing Chobi to clamber onto her back. She spread her massive wings, pumping air underneath her before taking off. Gohan smiled. Another day saved. "We'll see you later, Videl," he said with a small salute before taking off after the other two dinosaurs, still holding fast to Toto and Mia following not far behind, a small scowl on her face.

Their flight was silent for the most part. "Nice timing, coming into the fight when you did," Gohan tried, shooting a smile at the Saiyan princess. She remained silent. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Mia replied with a snippy tone. Gohan frowned at her and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted with a whoosh.

"GOHAN!" Goten called out. "You found him!"

"Yeah, Bro," Gohan laughed good-naturedly. "But I gotta thank Mia, though. She made the plan."

Goten wasn't listening as he curled up next to Chobi, who was licking his face. Toto made a small grumbling as he woke up. "Sorry, big guy," Gohan said, shrugging the pterodactyl off as he started to fly on his own. "I couldn't let you destroy the city."

"Unless you're in between Videl's legs," Mia muttered under her breath snidely, rolling her eyes.

That caused Gohan to stop as he looked Mia, his frown returned. "Excuse me?" he coughed. She paused and gave him a challenging look, her arms crossed and head tilted to the side. "Hey, Goten," he called back to his brother, who had stopped when his brother did, "go on ahead. Mia and I have something to discuss."

Goten shrugged with a smile. "OK!" he called back, zooming off with the dinosaur family.

Gohan huffed with a scowl, taking off his helmet and ruffling his hair free. "Alright, what's going on?"

Mia rolled her eyes and sighed, "Nothing."

"No, it's obviously something. What's wrong?" Gohan tried again. Mia shot him a frown, but she could see in his ebony stare that this conversation was unavoidable.

She hit the button on her costume, adjusting to her normal clothes as she huffed, "You had no right." She pulled at her braid as she shook her head muttering, "No right at all."

Gohan gave her a completely dumbfounded look. "No right to what?"

"To make me feel like you cared about me!" she snapped, blinking away a few tears. Her onyx eyes were getting glassy from tears, and she could feel their sting. But she broke the dam she had around her feelings for Gohan, might as well just let it out. "You had no right to act like you liked me, then hookup with Videl in front of me!"

Gohan frowned as he looked off, clearly dumbstruck. "The party? This is still about the party!?"

"No," Mia bit back. Her shoulders sank as she shook her head, putting her fingers to her temple before dropping her hand as she added, "Look, if you liked her, you could have just told me so instead of leading me on!"

Gohan's eyes went wide as he muttered in a small voice, "Leading you on."

"You know, I was perfectly happy before you showed up," she started on a tangent, one arm raised to distance herself from him. "I may not have had any friends, but I wasn't heartbroken either."

"Heartbroken?" Gohan asked, his confusion muddling his thoughts. _Have I missed something?_ He liked her, and he thought it was all of a sudden she didn't like him. _Is it reversed? How?_ "Since when?" he voiced.

"Oh, come on!" Mia groused, wiping a tear from her right eye. "The night of the party, I made a move to kiss you, and you ran away!"

"You mean right after you threw up?" Gohan added.

Mia rolled her eyes. "That's beside the point," she said, waving him off. "You made out with drunk Videl, but wouldn't even kiss me. And you've been all buddy buddy with her all week, and even today you were flirting with her instead of saving the city from your 'friendly' dinosaurs." She added the finger quotes around the "friendly" to emphasize her sarcasm.

Gohan blinked, then smirked. "Are you jealous?"

"Wh-what?" Mia scoffed, looking away. "N-no!" Gohan's heart skipped a beat as the pieces fell into place. She liked him, a lot. And he'd missed it. How could he have missed it? "And that has nothing to do with why I'm angry at you, Son Gohan!" Mia snapped back into the argument, an accusing finger pointed at the grinning hybrid, who was closing the gap between them. "You lead me on, and broke my heart on purpose, didn't y-you?!" she stuttered towards the end as his chest was almost touching hers, her finger actually against his chest. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't identify, and it made her nervous, as she asked, "Wh-what're you doing?"

Her heart fluttered as he cupped her cheek with his gloved hand as he answered, "Something I should have done a while ago." She could feel her heart pounding with his as he pulled her towards him, their lips meeting. In that moment, she saw everything from his perspective as his mind mingled with hers. How they met, and how excited he was to meet another Saiyan. How beautiful he thought she was from the first moment. Some blue-haired lady talking about him having a crush on her. Mia opened her mouth, licking his lips for entrance, which he allowed, licking her tongue back as his other hand snaked around her waist and her arms found their way around his neck, her fingers roaming into his hair. The memories became intense as she shared her memories. How he made her feel when they sparred, and how excited she got just when she'd see him. How hurt she was when she thought she had screwed everything up between them, and how she had tried her best to save face, but inside she felt like she was dying.

 _Sorry. I was an idiot._

 _We were both idiots._

He pulled away quickly as he hissed. "Wh-what?" she asked, blinking fast. She felt her cheeks were wet, and she wiped them down.

"It's nothing," Gohan laughed, rubbing his cheek. "I got a cut from Toto, and your tears kind of burned it."

Mia laughed, adding a small, "Salt will do that." She gave him a smile as she started to fly slowly towards his home. "Why don't we get that dressed?" Gohan nodded, flying after her. Both of them couldn't stop smiling and shooting each other glances.

AN: I hope you all liked the chapter. Please remember to leave a review!


	8. Chapter 7

AN: Hi all. I had hoped to get this out before Christmas, or at least New Years, so I could tell you about the sale on my book on Amazon. But alas, that didn't happen. I think the sale might still be up, but if not, don't worry. I'll set up another sale for the next chapter when that gets done.

Sorry this chapter took so long. There's some awkward moments that had to be written sometime so the plot could progress, or the story would just lag, and it took me a while to get through them. On top of that, Holidays and family visits took up most of my time. And next week, I'm matron of honor for my sister's wedding. So, yeah. Busy busy busy. Also my husband and I just bought ANOTHER puppy, who is adorable and sweet, but needs a lot of work in the training department. So, I also have that sucking up my time.

Also, remember to check out my book on Amazon, Midnight Over Moores. And always remember to review after reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

* * *

Chapter 7

Blackmail

Gohan walked through the halls the next day with a smile on his face. Ever since he and Mia kissed the day before, he couldn't get the smile off his face. Even though he was running late to class, he couldn't get the thought of Mia's and his first kiss off his mind.

"Hey, Gohan!" Videl called out, a grin on her face.

"Hey, Videl," he said with a smile. He took in her relaxed pose against the green lockers, and eyed her curiously. "You going to class?"

She stepped up, a smirk on her face as she closed the space between them. "It's over Gohan."

He blinked at her blankly as he retorted, "I'm pretty sure class has only just begun."

"Not that," she said lightly, a clever glint in her eyes as she reached up to his face, causing him to shift back a little. "Hold still," she ordered, grasping the edge of the band-aid Mia had placed over his cut the night before. It still had a day to heal up. She ripped it off quickly. Holding it up victoriously, she sighed, "My, my. I could have sworn the Great Saiyaman got the same cut yesterday from that pterodactyl." Gohan's eyes went wide. She figured him out. "And that's exactly who you are. Mr. Saiyaman!"

"No!" Gohan breathed, "Everyone knows!"

Videl gave him a weird look. "I wouldn't say everyone. Only I know. But …" her mouth contorted into an evil smile as she added, "maybe I should schedule a press conference revealing your identity."

"Please, Videl!" Gohan said, his hands raised in surrender. "You know I only hide my identity to keep my family's privacy."

She rolled her purple blue eyes as she said, "Your family can adjust to the spotlight just as mine has."

"Please, Videl."

"And that was Mia as Saiyagirl, right?" She shot him a skeptical look. "Where is she by the way?"

"Uh," Gohan muttered, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. He finally mustered a small, "No."

Videl laughed, "Liar. What about the Gold Fighter. You're him too, right?"

"No," Gohan replied, quickly waving his hands. "Just Saiyaman."

"And why would I believe you?"

"He -," Gohan breathed, "He's got blond hair!"

Videl narrowed her eyes, her black brows furrowing as she eyed the hybrid. "I guess you're right. He's better looking than you."

Gohan nodded, his lips pursed awkwardly, not sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. He sighed as he asked, "Look, is there anything I can do to keep you quiet about this?"

She crossed her arms and gave him a faux thoughtful expression. "Well, maybe a fair fight without a city at stake. So …" she paused dramatically before she added, "the World Martial Arts Tournament is in a month. Why don't you and Mia sign up."

"I-is there something else we can do with less publicity?" he asked nervously, scratching the back of his head with the famous Son family grin.

Videl scowled, and added, "Either sign up for the Budokai, or I tell everyone yours and Mia's identity."

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me," she challenged. She walked around him as she added, "Look, I know you're more than you seem. The World Champion before my father was named Goku, and he just happened to have a son named Gohan, which is you right?"

His eyes were wide as he muttered a small, "No."

Videl laughed. "Has anyone ever told you you're a horrible liar?"

Gohan pursed his lips before answering in a small tone, "Mia."

"Well, she's right about that," Videl added with a grin. "And I don't know how she fits in the whole Gohan Son story and how she got you to trust her so easily, but I will find out." When Gohan remained silent, she threw a friendly punch at his shoulder and said, "Cheer up. It's going to be a blast. Just imagine, the former champion's son versus the current champion's daughter."

"Right," Gohan muttered. "I'll see if I can get Mia to enter the tournament as well."

"Great!" Videl chirped, making her way down the hallway. She stopped, spinning on her heel with her finger up. "One more thing. Teach me how to fly. It can't be that hard if Mia can do it too, right?"

Gohan pursed his lips before replying in a small voice, "Yeah, it's easy."

"Good," Videl grinned widely. She waved at him before continuing down the hallway, adding in a sing song voice, "I look forward to flying."

Gohan's shoulders dropped as he let out a long sigh. He reached into his pocket for his phone and dialed Mia's number. The phone rang once, twice … "What's up?"

"Hey, Mia," Gohan said, "we've got a bit of a situation." He looked around for other people in the hallway, before diving into the bathroom. "Videl knows our identity."

He heard her laugh over the phone. "I should hope so. We go to her school," she replied through chuckles.

"No, she knows we're Saiyaman and Saiyagirl," Gohan corrected in a hushed tone. "And she wants us to enter the Budokai in a month."

Mia was silent for a minute before she asked, "She's blackmailing us?" Gohan didn't answer. "Is she insane? She's seen us lift buses, stop bullets, and she wants to fight us in a televised tournament?"

"I don't know," Gohan muttered, leaning against the bathroom wall.

"I say we do it."

"What?!" Gohan almost shrieked.

"She knows that we could pummel her, and she wants to publicly fight us anyway? Perfect time to take her off her high horse," Mia replied easily.

"So, that's it?" Gohan huffed into the receiver, a little disappointed Mia was so onboard with this and didn't care that their identities were at stake.

Mia sighed, "No. Because you can't enter with a helmet, because it's considered protection. And I can't enter with regular high heels, like I have on my boots, because they're considered weapons."

"Right," he breathed, stopping to think. Clearly, they needed to go to Bulma. Which meant they'd probably see Vegeta. Maybe now was as good a time as any to introduce Mia to her father. He let out a sigh before saying, "I need to make another call. Meet me after school on the roof."

"Sure," she almost chirped through the phone. "Have a good day at school." Click.

Gohan stared at his phone a minute, as if it were a bomb he was trying to diffuse. Slowly, he began to dial Bulma's cellphone number, letting out a long breath before he hit send and put the phone to his ear. It rang once. He hadn't talked to Bulma in a week, and he knew the news that he and Mia made up was going to be a small shock to her. It rang again.

The tone that greeted Gohan over the phone wasn't light and feminine like Bulma's, but gruff. "What do you need, boy?"

"Vegeta," Gohan replied, a small quiver in his voice. "I was actually looking for Bulma."

"For?" Vegeta inquired dangerously.

"Be nice, Vegeta. Give me the phone," Gohan heard Bulma over the line. He heard Vegeta huff disgruntedly as the phone exchanged hands. "Hello?"

"Hey, Bulma. It's Gohan."

"I know. I have caller ID."

"Right." Gohan paused, taking a breath before he decided to just let it out. "I'm bringing Mia by later."

* * *

Bulma went rigid. Gohan and Mia had patched things up. Her hand holding the phone up shook a little as she said in a small voice, "Oh." She got up from the bed, where her naked husband lay, his skeptical gaze eyeing her every movement. "Hey, Vegeta, I'll be right back." The prince didn't say anything as she slinked into her blue silk robe, and made her way out to the living room. "So, you patched things up."

"Yeah," Gohan replied. She could hear the smile in his voice. "Turned out to be complete miscommunication."

"Aw," Bulma cooed. "So, when are you bringing her over? Actually, can I ask _why now_?"

"Yeah, you can. We're coming right after school. You see, there's another girl in my class who's blackmailing us to join the world tournament. We need to alter our outfits to fit regulations," Gohan explained.

" _Another_ girl?" Bulma asked in exasperation. "What's she like?"

"Pushy," Gohan answered bluntly. "And stubborn. – Well, to me at least."

"Only you?"

"Yeah. It's weird."

Bulma smiled a little. "She's got a crush on you. I know you like Mia, but did you ever think of asking this other girl on a date to get out of the tournament?"

"Are you kidding?" Gohan almost laughed. "Mia would kill me if I just up and asked another girl out."

Bulma's eyes widened. "Are you and Mia together now?"

Gohan was silent for a moment before he replied, "Define ' _together._ '"

Bulma let out a laugh. "You're as bad as your Dad was," she commented. _So, not only have they made up, their relationship has actually progressed._

"Look, we haven't really told anybody since it's still kind of new, and Mom would have a fit," Gohan urged.

"Got it," Bulma replied with a smile. "Mums the word." She let out a small chuckle before changing the subject. "So, new outfit. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Bulma," Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. "I owe you."

"Nonsense. I'll see you later." Click.

Bulma let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair. "What did he say?"

Bulma turned slightly seeing her husband dressed in his training pants and boots, leaving his scarred chest bare, and leaning against the doorway in a relaxed way. "Nothing. He's just coming by later with a friend for alterations on their costumes."

Vegeta eyed his wife strangely. "Friend?"

Bulma nodded. "Yeah, he's got a girlfriend …" she paused, her face screwed up as she added a small, "kind of. It's a secret. They go around saving the city together. I made them costumes a little while back so they wouldn't lose their identity, and they need alterations for the tournament."

Vegeta crossed his arms, picking himself off the doorway. "The budoukai?"

"Yes, Vegeta," she huffed. She turned to the clock on the wall. "Shit, it's almost nine. I need to get Trunks up and over to ChiChi's." She jumped up from her perch on the couch to see her husband frowning at her. "What?"

"You know what," he growled.

She smiled. She did know what he was upset about. They were in the throes of foreplay when Gohan called. She stepped up to him, placing her hand on his chest gently as she reached up and kissed him. He breathed in her scent and let out a guttural moan, trying to deepen the kiss, but she pulled away. She smirked at him, tapping a knuckle on his bare chest. "When I get back, you and I can go at it like rabbits. But right now," she said, extricating herself from his grasp, "I need to take Trunks to ChiChi's."

Vegeta grumbled, a scowl settling on his face. "Fine," he muttered, making his way out of their suite, towards the training rooms.

Bulma let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair. With Mia coming by today, she prayed everything would go according to plan and not sideways.

* * *

"TRUNKS!" Goten called out, waving at the plane landing in the field. The purple haired saiyan jumped from the landing plane before it touched ground, causing his mother to yelp out to him.

"Trunks! Be careful!" But he was never one to let danger tell him what to do. He ignored Bulma's pleas and ran into the forest with Goten. Bulma let out a huff, then turned to Chichi, "Thanks for watching him. Work is getting pretty crazy, and I can't watch him with my meetings today."

"Say no more," Chichi replied with a smile. Bulma waved, taking off and zooming off into the sky. Chichi turned to call out to her son and his best friend to tell them to stay close to the house, but they were already gone.

Trunks and Goten zoomed through the forest laughing. That's when Trunks stopped, feeling some high power levels through the trees. He didn't make a sound as he diverted his path towards the power levels. "Trunks! Where're you going!?" Goten asked, chasing behind him.

"Don't you feel that?" Trunks replied, slowing down as he came upon a clearing in the mountains where the power levels battled. He looked out to see two women with tails. One looked slightly older, like his mom and dad's age, and the other one looked to be closer to Gohan's age. The older one had curly short black hair, while the younger one had long hair held back in a long black braid. They flew at each other, throwing punches left and right. The older one threw a kick that the younger one somersaulted away from. Once a good distance away, they each held their hands up in a fighting stance. "Who are they?"

Goten frowned. "They're just friends of Gohan's. They're staying with us for a bit."

Trunks shot a curious look at his younger friend and asked, "He's got girly friends?" His face adopted a disgusted scowl. "Girls are icky." He turned back to the girls in front of them fighting. "What's with the tails?"

Goten shrugged. "I dunno. Momma said Dad, Gohan and I used to have them, but they were removed. Gohan said something about Saiyans." Trunks scowled. _Saiyans?_

* * *

Gohan made his way up to the top of the school, his bag full of books tapping against his leg as he made his way upstairs. He swung the door out and saw Mia sitting there in her Saiyagirl suit, so as to not be recognized. She stood up with a flirty smile on her face. "Hey."

"H-hey." Gohan breathed back as she stepped closer to him.

"You miss me?"

Gohan gave a confused frown. "I-I saw you this morning."

Mia laughed, putting her arms around his neck. "That's not what I meant." She pulled his face close to hers, planting a kiss on his lips, licking his lips for entrance. He let her in for a second before easing away. She smiled. "I've always wanted to do that on school property."

Gohan gave her a strange look before chuckling it off. "Look, we need to get to Capsule Corp to get our costumes changed. I told Bulma we'd be there right after school."

"Capsule Corp?" Mia replied with a strange look. "Who's Bulma?"

Gohan gulped. "She's the one who made our costumes." His pause was suspicious, and he knew Mia was waiting on a reason why he was nervous. He pursed his lips and huffed. Might as well tell her now. "She's also your step-mom."

Mia seemed to stop breathing for a second as she took a step back. "My step-mom?" Gohan nodded. "My father married." It was more of a statement now than anything else. She hadn't known. She didn't look at him as her mind adjusted to the new information. "Wh-what's she like?"

Gohan let out a long breath he hadn't noticed he'd been holding, pressing the button on his watch to change into his costume. "She's smart. A genius really. She's the current CEO of Capsule Corp." He paused, racking his brain for how to describe the blue-haired scientist. He took off with Mia following after him, heading to West City. They'd be there in a couple minutes if they didn't stop. "She can be a bit abrasive, but generally, she's really nice."

"Is she a fighter?" Mia asked. She didn't know why, but she couldn't see her father, the Prince of all Saiyans, with a woman who couldn't hold her own against him. But that was mostly just going by why her mother had told her. Maybe her father was nothing like what she'd imagined. Honestly, she wasn't sure which scared her more: that her father was brutal, hard and stubborn like she'd thought; or that her father was nothing like she'd thought he was.

"No," Gohan answered, "Not in the martial arts sense. She's more of the fight with her words type."

There was another long pause before Gohan added, "Look, she also gave me some ground rules to share with you about going over there." Mia remained silent, eyeing her boyfriend speculatively. "Rule one is already taken care of, since she wanted to be notified ahead of time. Rule two is that we can't say anything about your relation to Vegeta."

"What?!" Mia balked, stopping mid-flight. Gohan slowed to float in front of her. "Why not?"

Gohan shrugged. "Something about Vegeta's trust issues."

Mia's gaze narrowed as she repeated, "His trust issues," as if she didn't think that was a legitimate reason.

Gohan huffed, crossing his arms. "Look at it from his point of view. Your mom faked her own death to save you from a life of slavery nineteen years ago. Now some strange girl he's never met shows up on his doorstep claiming to be the daughter he never knew of, and also happens to be dating his rival's son."

"Rival's son?"

Gohan shook his head. "It's a long story."

She scowled at him, and pointed an accusing finger. "One day you're gonna have to tell me these long stories. It makes me feel like I don't know my own boyfriend."

"Please," Gohan sighed, putting his hands on her shoulders, trying to pull her back to the rules Bulma had laid out. "Just hold on to the fact you're his daughter until you both know each other better. Trust me when I say it's better if he's known you a little while before he knows that."

Mia still wasn't convinced as she replied, "What makes you say something like that?"

"It's a long –" Gohan cut himself off as he saw her scowl turn into a glare. "We really don't have time for this."

"Make time."

Gohan frowned. "Fine. But I'm only summing up!" When Mia didn't argue, he continued. "Remember when you asked 'Who killed Frieza?' when we met?" Mia nodded. "Frieza was sliced to bits by your half-brother, Trunks, who came back from the future two years before he was born just to warn us about the Androids and give my Dad some future heart medicine so he wouldn't die."

Mia opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water as she processed this information. She had a time-traveling half-brother? And "Androids?"

"Yeah, they were a bigger threat in the future, but in our time they got over-shadowed by Cell's presence three weeks later," Gohan explained. "Anyway, when Vegeta found out Trunks was his son from the future, which was three years after Trunks killed Frieza, and a year after Trunks' current self was born, Vegeta treated him horribly at first. Then refused to talk to anyone for a couple weeks."

Mia blinked, her brow furrowing as she processed this information. Gohan waited for her, but muttered a small, "I told you it was a long story." Mia put her hand up, silencing him with the simple gesture. "Let me see if I got this straight. I have a half-brother named Trunks," Gohan nodded, "who came back from the future to tell you all about some Androids we never heard of because of Cell," Gohan nodded, "and he's now only eight-ish?"

"Yes."

Mia frowned, still trying to process the information. "Can he still time-travel?"

"Not the eight year-old one, no," Gohan answered, growing tired of explaining the events of a decade ago. "Look, Vegeta didn't take the news of future Trunks being his son well, and that was when he already knew he had a son. Now, imagine how he'll react to being a father for eighteen years and not knowing about it."

"Seventeen, for the record," Mia corrected.

"What?"

"I'm _seventeen_. Not eighteen." She reiterated.

Gohan's eyebrows shot up. "You're only seventeen?"

"Well, until August. But, what's the deal? You're seventeen too, right?"

Gohan paused, wondering if he should go into the whole Hyperbolic Time Chamber year actually making him eighteen, nineteen in a month and a half, despite what his birth certificate says. "Uhm, that depends," he stated blankly with a frown.

Mia rolled her eyes, continuing on in the direction they were headed. "I'm not gonna ask. Let's just go."

It didn't take long for Gohan to catch up. "Do you promise not to say anything about Vegeta being your Dad?"

"Yeah," Mia groused, clearly not happy about the mandate. "But you know, he'll figure it out eventually."

Gohan nodded. "Eventually, yeah."

Mia huffed, returning to her thoughts as they flew. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help the hateful thoughts towards the woman her father had married entering her mind. She hadn't even met the woman, and she already was resenting her. Probably because the Bulma woman had made hiding the truth of Mia's lineage a part of the deal of meeting her own father. She didn't voice her thoughts, and just let them stew as they flew, keeping the air between her and Gohan silent as they closed in on West city. They neared a large yellow building with big blue letters reading out "Capsule Corp."

She followed as Gohan landed on the lawn. She quickly switched off her uniform, figuring the first giveaway to her heritage would be the tail wrapped around her waist. In her uniform, she couldn't hide it. But in her normal street clothes, it was easy. Gohan took off his helmet, then gestured for her to follow him. "My dad and Bulma have been friends since they were kids. There's pretty much an open door policy when we come over." He followed his senses to Bulma's small ki, until he was led to the doors of one of her hug labs. Inside, she was working on a stripped-down motorcycle that had clearly seen better days. "Hey, Bulma."

The blue-haired woman's back went a little rigid, hearing the voice of the voice of the teenage saiyan. She turned to him with a smile, taking off her oil stained gloves as she took in the sight of the young couple. "Hey, Gohan." Mia had to admit, Bulma was pretty, in an oddly exotic sort of way. Her bright blue hair matched her stark blue eyes, and her skin-tone glowed as if she took very good care of it. Her smile was big as the scientist took in the new Saiyan. Bulma rolled her eyes when Gohan remained quiet, pushing her hand out to Mia, and closing the distance between them. "Gohan's forgotten his manners. I'm Bulma Briefs, CEO of Capsule Corp, and well," she fidgeted the ring on her left ring finger, "Gohan should have already told you."

Mia smiled a little forcibly. _About you being my step-mom, yeah._ "I'm Mia Jicama."

Bulma could tell Mia felt a little awkward about the introduction as she pulled her hand away, unshaken. However, Bulma still tried to remain chipper. This was her husband's daughter, and above everything else, she wanted to at least be her friend. "So, Gohan has told me a lot about you. One of the smartest in your class, right?"

"Well, I am taking APs," Mia replied shortly.

Bulma's eyes widened. APs. That meant Mia was really smart. "What APs?"

Mia's brow furrowed. "Genetics and literature."

"Genetics?" Bulma beamed. Maybe they'd have something in common in the sciences. "That's a pretty difficult science. Any plans on pursuing it?"

Mia smiled, easing herself to Bulma. Maybe her stepmom wasn't so bad. "Actually, I was hoping to become a geneticist on the Human Genome Project, one day."

Bulma put her hands on her hips proudly as she stated, "Well, when that day comes around, holler. My family and I are pretty famous in the science community."

"I know," Mia started, cutting herself off. She could practically hear her mom scolding her to mind her manners. "What I mean is, I applied to University of West City's Dr. Robex Briefs College of Sciences."

Bulma smirked raising and eyebrow. Mia had applied to her alma mater's college that had been dedicated to her father. It was an incredibly prestigious school to get in. The fact that it was even on Mia's radar of possibilities spoke volumes. "And?"

Mia's gaze dropped. "I-I haven't heard anything since they put me on the waiting list."

Bulma pursed her lips. _Well, that won't do._ She clapped a friendly hand on Mia's shoulder and said comfortingly, "Well, keep your chin up. I'm sure you'll hear from them eventually."

Gohan frowned at Mia. "You've already applied for college?"

Mia shot him an odd look. "Yeah. Most college orientations start right after graduation." When Gohan remained silently confused, Mia's eyes widened in shock. "You haven't applied for college yet!?"

"I thought I had the summer to do that."

Mia laughed nervously, "No. No you don't."

Gohan opened his mouth to protest, but Bulma cut him off. "Anyway, you're here about the costumes, right?"

"Yeah," Gohan huffed, turning away from his girlfriend.

"What's wrong with them?"

Gohan held up the helmet and said, "These are against the tournament rules. It's considered protection."

"And heels are considered weapons, so I need my boots changed," Mia added, passing her watch to Bulma.

The blue-haired heiress grabbed the watch and looked at the helmet forlornly. "It's a shame. The helmet's a nice touch. You don't see a lot of superheroes wearing them."

"Yes, you do," Mia scoffed.

Bulma and Gohan looked at Mia oddly, asking her simultaneously, "Who?"

Mia held up a hand, listing characters off with each finger tick. "Steel, Mr. Freeze, Judge Dredd, the new Batman, and Dr. Fate. That's just DC. Marvel, you've got Iron Man, Thor, Professor X, Magneto, Cyclops, Juggernaut, all of the Aesir really, War Machine, Dr. Doom, and Ant-man."

Bulma gave a small pout as she said, "Well, I thought it was unique." She let out a sigh as she took the helmet and set it aside. Giving Gohan a once over, she finally said, "Let me get the boots done, and I'll figure out something simple to keep your identity hidden." That's when she stopped, "Mia, what about your helmet?"

"I got rid of it," Mia replied blankly.

Bulma sulked, "Why?"

Mia shrugged. "I fashioned a mask that fit me better."

Bulma frowned, but continued on to the computer, but was stopped by Mia. "Where's my fa-… I mean, where's Vegeta?"

"He's training at the moment. But he should be done soon," Bulma replied, making her way over to the computer, pulling up the file of Mia's costume, and altering the code quickly for the boots. She placed the watch in a box hooked up to the computer, and after a bright flash and a five second hum, Bulma pulled it out and handed it to Mia. "Instead of heels, you're wearing espadrilles, which is within regulations."

Mia grinned, fastening the watch to her wrist. "Great!"

Bulma turned to Gohan again, her face furrowed in a quizzical frown. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers, going to a cabinet in the corner and grabbing some white fabric, then whisking over to her desk where she pulled a pair of shades from a drawer. She gave Gohan the shades, quickly ordering, "Put these on." He did as she unfolded the white fabric, which happened to be a plain white scarf. She pulled it around his head, over his hair, and tied it in the back. Bulma walked around front, a victorious smile on her face as she said, "Awesome!"

Gohan beamed, standing in a superman pose. "Alright!"

"No."

The other two turned to Mia, their faces full of confusion. Mia took in a deep breath as she took in Gohan's new mask of sorts. She shook her head as she said, "I'm sorry to say this, Gohan. But you look like a geek."

"Wh-what?"

Mia stood up, closing the distance between her boyfriend and her, her frown searching his face for clues. She pulled the sunglasses off his face, revealing the withered look in his eyes. "I said I'm sorry. But we can do much better," she added pulling off the scarf. She put a finger to her chin as she looked at his face, explaining, "You can be a hero _and_ look like a badass at the same time."

Mia's gaze drifted to his black spandex covered arms, and an idea struck. Mia reached out, fingering the spandex against his bulging bicep. "Do you have any more of this black spandex?" Bulma nodded, going to another cabinet, this one seemingly attached to the computer, and pulling out the fabric and set it on a counter near Mia. Mia walked over, unrolling it with a smile. She turned to her stepmom and asked, "Can you make a mask, like the one from Zorro or Daredevil, out of this material?" Bulma frowned, but nodded, taking the cloth back to the cabinet, and typing the codes for it into the computer. After a minute, Bulma had the black spandex mask, and handed it to Mia, who did the honors of tying it onto her boyfriend's head. She smiled as she stepped away, saying a small, "Perfect."

Gohan turned to Bulma for verification. The scientist nodded semi-surprised. "It definitely will look good in the photos after you win."

"Who said he's going to win?" a gravelly voice asked from behind them. Gohan and Bulma turned to see the newcomer to the conversation, while Mia stepped out from in front of her boyfriend. That was first time she saw him, and her breath caught in her throat. She had finally met her father.

Vegeta.

* * *

AN: I hope you all liked the chapter. Please remember to leave a review!


	9. Chapter 8

AN: Hi all. Sorry to leave you all off like that. I don't like leaving cliffhangers, but sometimes it's the best place to cut off. And to make up for it, this chapter is extra-long. And by "extra-long," I mean almost 30 pages, single spaced size 11 font. 13,000+ words. It's ridiculously long. Even though I can't see you, I know you're happy. A lot of stuff went into this chapter. More awkward stuff that'll come back later, and some more immediate stuff that you've been waiting to resolve. It's all here.

Some news on my front. My book got its first editorial review! 5 stars with glowing props. On top of that, I've gotten a couple authors to read it as well. So far all 5 stars with glowing reviews. So, if you want to check it out, AMAZON. It's available in all countries that offer Amazon. I'm thinking about doing something special for its first anniversary, which is March 19th. Might be a book giveaway (only if you review RiT's latest chapter), or just a sale leading up to the 19th.

That being said, check out my book on Amazon, Midnight Over Moores. And always remember to review after reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 **Learn to Fly**

She wasn't sure what she expected her father to be like. Tall, imposing, a not so good Prince Charming. He was a prince after all, and he had managed to win the heart of two strong, independent women. And he was good looking, like and odd cross between Mark Strong and Henry Cavil. His glare was severe, yet aloof at the same time. He was stand-off-ish, his arms crossed and his shoulders back in a tough guy stance. He wore a blue tank top and gray sweatpants, a white towel over his shoulder.

And for some reason, Vegeta's gaze was trained on the young woman behind Gohan. He couldn't place it, but there was something familiar about her. A feeling in her eyes that reminded him of being a child in the palace on Planet Vegeta. It was unsettling, and he didn't like it.

"H-hey, Vegeta," Gohan greeted, his heart beating a pace faster. The hybrid's gaze followed Vegeta's confused glare to Mia quickly, then continued on, "You're planning on entering the tournament?"

"Yes, I am," Vegeta announced proudly. "And while you've been too busy studying and going on dates," the prince jutted his chin to Mia nonchalantly, "I've been training non-stop."

"I can vouch for that," Bulma muttered, glowering at her husband from the corner. "All he ever does is train. But if I need help with the dishes, or cooking a meal, or hell, even mowing the goddamn lawn, he's nowhere to be found." Bulma shifted a gaze to Gohan. "I hope s…" she stopped, her gaze jumping to Mia quickly then back, realizing that revealing Mia was a saiyan would probably be a good indicator to Vegeta about her heritage, which she wanted to avoid, "you warrior types aren't all like that."

Gohan blushed, tugging on his mask to cover his reddened cheeks. Mia snickered a little, then added, "Well, my Uncle Rito taught me how to make some kickass beer battered catfish." Bulma shot her a surprised look. Score one for the Saiyan team, not that Mia could say that aloud at the moment.

"Vegeta," Gohan started, gesturing to Mia, "this is my, uh…"

"Friend," Mia offered leaning a little towards the hybrid. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was. Keep the relationship quiet until they were ready for everyone to know.

"Friend, Mia Jicama," Gohan nodded with a small gulp.

Suddenly, Vegeta's eyes widened, alerting the group that Vegeta was realizing something was amiss. "Jicama…?"

Mia's heart pounded. _Shit._ She should have given Gohan another last name. _Jicama was a saiyan name._ "Yeah," she said, her breath shakey. "It's …" her mind went a mile a minute trying to think of an explanation. Before she even knew what she was saying, a half lie started fabricating its way out of her mouth, "It's Spanish. Used to be DeJicamas, meaning my ancestors used to be farmers before it got shortened to Jicama. Like DeCol, DeGoya, or even DeVerduras were eventually shortened to Col, Goya, and Verduras. It's actually not a common name. Do you know someone by that name?" She could barely control her breathing. It was technically true. Saiyans at their roots of culture had been farmers before warriors, and their obsession to the food they farmed led to a long running theme in Saiyan culture to name people after the natural food of planet Vegeta. Jicama was one such plant.

She prayed he bought her story. Just the look Vegeta had begun to give her as soon as the name _Jicama_ was mentioned sent chills down her spine, and she knew Gohan had been one hundred percent honest about her father's trust issues. And she honestly wasn't sure she wanted him to know about her relation to him, at least not until it was pertinent.

Vegeta's glare didn't lessen as he looked at her. "I did once." The room was tense as he let his words hang in the air.

Mia laughed nervously, adding a small, "Hmm, maybe they were a distant relative or something."

Finally, he looked away, out the window of the lab as he muttered, "Doubtful."

"Well," Bulma chimed in, giving a small clap with her hands to bring the attention of the room to herself. "Since you're going to be fighting in the tournament, Vegeta, why don't I make you a disguise like Gohan and Mia?"

"Hell no," Vegeta snapped back. "After the whole pink shirt debacle, you can forget picking out any of my clothes." Gohan snickered, earning a swift glare from the saiyan prince.

"Aw, come on. I'll stick to blues and yellows," Bulma added with a pout.

"No, I wouldn't be caught dead in that dress!" Vegeta groused, pointing to Gohan's outfit.

"Hey!" Gohan voiced, but no one looked at him. Mia put a comforting hand on his arm, and squeezed.

"I'll dress myself, got that?" Vegeta huffed at his wife. Bulma shrugged, muttering a small, "Whatever." He turned to Gohan, and added, "Plus, I'd rather fight as myself and not pull my punches for fear of my identity. And you better not either."

 _I think I'll fight too!_

The voice was new and echoed around Mia's mind. The voice was bright, and caught the attention of the whole group. _Who the hell is this?_

"D-Dad?" Gohan started, stepping forward. "Dad is that you?!"

"Kakarrot?" Vegeta breathed.

 _Hey, Son! It's great to hear your voice, again._

"It is you!" Gohan almost cried. "A-are you really going to fight in the tournament?"

 _Yeah! Baba said I've got enough credit for a day trip. Tell your mom I'm coming home!_ There was a pause as Gohan began to cheer.

"Finally, a rematch," Vegeta added with a grin. "You won't win this time Kakarrot."

 _Yeah, right,_ The voice laughed. _Are you Mia?_

Gohan missed his father's question as he whooped. Apparently, everyone had. _H-how do you know my name?_ Mia asked.

 _I've heard so much about you! I've been looking forward to meeting you and your mom for ages it seems._ It seemed as if the man talking could sense her unease, and he reassured, _It's ok, I secluded my conversation to just you. I know you want to keep your relation to Vegeta a secret, so he won't hear._

Mia's eyes went wide. _Y-you know Vegeta's my father?_

 _I told you, I've heard a lot about you. I look forward to meeting you in person. I feel as if I know you already!_ Then the voice was gone. Mia looked around the room, confused. She turned to her boyfriend for an explanation, but he and Bulma were talking about seeing something named Krillin about the news, which sounded familiar, but Mia couldn't remember why.

Gohan was excited. "Come on, Mia! Let's go," he cheered, practically racing for the door. Mia followed after, thanking Bulma for the suit again. As soon as they reached the lawn, Gohan took off back east towards his house with Mia following closely behind him. He was flying faster than Mia had seen him go, but she could still keep up. He flipped so he was flying on his back, facing Mia. "I can't believe my dad gets to come back! This is awesome."

Mia smiled at him. She'd never seen him so truly happy. It was clear he really missed his father. But there was a nagging in the back of her mind. How did Goku know about her and her mother? They'd never met him, and the only other one who he'd know that at least knew her mom was Vegeta, who thought her mom was dead. It didn't make any sense. "What's your dad like?" she asked.

A smile settled on Gohan's face as he replied, "He's the nicest guy ever. Funny. And he's the strongest person in the universe. He's saved the Earth more times than I can count."

"You really look up to him," Mia more stated than asked. It was obvious his dad was his idol.

Gohan nodded.

"Is that why you fly around saving Satan City?" Mia laughed.

Gohan shook his head. "No. I don't know if it comes from my dad or just myself. But I just can't stand by when people are in danger." He frowned, turning to Mia. "What about you? Why do you do it?"

She gave him a small smile, as if he should have known the answer to the question. "Because you included me, and you're my friend."

Gohan seemed taken aback, blushing a little. "Really? Me?"

Mia let out a small laugh. "Of course." That was when she noticed the ocean they were closing in on. "Wh-where are we going, Gohan?"

"To an old friend's house. He'd like to know my Dad is coming back. They were best friends," Gohan explained.

Mia raised an eyebrow. _Krillin_. She remembered the first mental conversation she and Gohan shared, and the image of a bald man with six dots on his head she saw when she was going through his mind for a lie to go along with. "He lives in the middle of the ocean?"

"Well, on a small island. You can see it on the horizon," he said, pointing out a rapidly growing pink dot. That dot turned into a small pink house with a red roof, and blue words painted on the side reading "Kame House." The island it sat on was small, only fitting the house and a little bit of lawn and palm trees.

As they landed, the green screened door opened, revealing a short man in an orange t-shirt, white khaki shorts, and flip flops. He had short to medium black hair that was brushed off his face, revealing a small widows-peak. "Gohan? I thought that was you," he said as he stepped into the sun. A small smile grew on his face as he looked at Mia. "Who's the girl?"

"This is my friend, Mia," Gohan introduced. "Mia, this is Krillin."

Mia opened her mouth to say something polite, but was interrupted as Krillin chuckled, " _Friend_ or _Girl_ friend? If she's your girlfriend, gotta say, you're out-kicking your coverage a bit, aren't you?" Mia smiled a bit. She was familiar with the saying, thanks to her Uncle Rito.

"K-Krillin," Gohan stammered, a blush creeping to his face. "Stop it."

"I seem to recall a time when you announced to Android 18 that I liked her. What, you don't like it when it happens to you?" Krillin's grin held a little spite, but it was clear he was just kidding around.

"You're embarrassing me," Gohan clarified, setting his jaw furrowing his brow.

Mia stepped in, giving her friendliest tone she could. "Actually, we had some news."

Suddenly, Krillin was serious. He looked between the teens nervously as he added, "Good news I hope." Mia could tell with his suspicious and worried gaze that he thought they might have been in some form of paternal trouble.

Gohan nodded, not even noticing Krillin's implication. "Dad is coming back to fight in the tournament!"

"WHAT!?" Krillin shouted, barely able to contain his excitement. "You're sure Goku's coming back!?"

"Told me himself," Gohan replied proudly.

"Aw man! Goku's back for the tournament! It's just like the old days." Krillin grinned, his fists balled. Slowly, his grin fell to a frown. "I'd love to compete, but I've got no idea what my wife would say."

"First she'd ask if there's any prize money," a woman standing at the door, a young girl of three or four standing next to her holding a ball. Both the woman and girl had light blond hair. The little girl looked sweet and innocent, while the woman looked tough, her blue eyes revealing a hardened warrior.

"Yeah," Gohan answered, "for the top five places. Ten million zeni for first place, five million for second, three million for third, two million for fourth, and one million for fifth."

The woman's eyes went wide. "Enter Krillin!" she almost gasped, "I will!"

"B-but honey."

"Come on, Krillin."

"Yeah, come on, Daddy," the little girl cheered next to her mother.

"Alright," Krillin sighed. He leaned towards Gohan adding in a whisper, "But can we not tell Vegeta and Piccolo? It'd increase my chances of getting in the top five and not looking like a total dweeb in front of my family."

Gohan frowned. "Vegeta was already planning on entering. And I was going to see Piccolo next."

The bald man scowled, putting his hands on his hips. "Fine. I'll just have to be honest about your outfit."

Gohan looked surprised at first, until Mia nudged him. "We need to get going," she whispered. Gohan nodded in agreement, ignoring Krillin's comment.

"We'll see you at the tournament guys!" Gohan called to the small family with a wave before taking off, Mia taking off closely behind him. This time, they flew north a good distance, passing plains, mountains and forests at an increasing rate.

"So, who's Piccolo?" Mia asked

"He's a friend of mine," Gohan replied cheerfully. "He was my first martial arts teacher." He shot her a look as he added, "I think you'll like him." It wasn't long until he pointed ahead to a thin tower reaching high in the sky. "Up here," Gohan called out, angling steeply up. Mia followed suit, matching his increasing speed and altitude until reaching a large compound seemingly floating in the air. It was hard for Mia to keep her surprise contained.

"W-what is this place?"

"This is The Lookout," the hybrid answered as his feet touched down on the white marble floors. Mia followed him towards the large white building with gold guilded domed roofs. Her eyes were wide and mouth open as she took in the sight. There was nothing but blue sky and clouds for miles. It made her feel a little insecure about her footing.

A door creaked open in the main building, where a short green man walked out. He had pointed ears framing his face, and antenna springing off his forehead. Even though he walked with a large staff, he looked young, like he was only her and Gohan's age, and smiled as soon as his black eyes rested on Gohan and Mia. "Gohan! You're back!"

"Hey, Dende," Gohan replied, stepping up the green teen. "Where is –"

He cut himself off as two others stepped out from the entryway. One was green, just like the teen Gohan had greeted as Dende. He wore a white and purple turban and a shoulder-padded cape. His arms were crossed and he walked in a tough guy stance. Behind them was what Mia could only think of as a midnight black genie.

"Hey Piccolo!" Gohan greeted cheerfully. "Mr. Popo."

"Gohan, it's so good to see you," the black genie replied in a kind voice. "Who is your lovely companion?"

"Oh, this is Mia Jicama," the hybrid introduced, waving Mia forward.

Dende gave a small bow politely. "It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, that's totally not necessary," she stated holding up her hands.

Piccolo smiled and gave a small introductory nod. _She's not as proud as I thought she'd be,_ he noted, eyeing her speculatively. "So, what brings you here?" Piccolo asked.

"Dad's coming back for a day to fight in the tournament," Gohan stated excitedly.

"Goku?" This was the second time she heard the name "Goku" today referencing Gohan's father. _I thought his name was Kakarrot._ Piccolo continued, "It should be a good tournament this year if he's going to show up. Count me in."

"What about you, Dende?" Gohan asked, turning to the younger green man. "You wanna join the tournament?"

Dende shook his head. "I'm not much of a fighter, Gohan. I think I should just stick to healing."

Piccolo cleared his throat, garnering the attention of the group as he eyed Gohan's attire. "I have to ask, Gohan. What are you wearing?"

Gohan frowned, putting his hands on his hips. "Not you too, Piccolo. You don't like it?"

"I can't lie to you, Gohan. It looks a bit ridiculous."

Gohan looked sincerely hurt by his old mentor's words as Mia snickered. "You should have seen the scarf and shades Mrs. Briefs tried to get him to wear." Gohan shot Mia a look, who gave him an apologetic wave. "Trust me, the mask looks infinitely better."

Gohan's frown didn't move as he said, "Well, we need to go tell Mom the good news." He levitated off the ground with a salute.

Mia did the same, calling out to them, "It was nice to meet you! We'll see you at the tournament!" And then the saiyan teens were off.

Mr. Popo sighed, watching Gohan and Mia fly off. "So, that was her?"

Dende looked at the Lookout's caretaker confused. "That was who?"

"Vegeta's daughter. The Saiyan Princess," Piccolo answered, remembering back to the first time he had overheard of her existence. "She's not what I expected." Dende's shocked gaze followed out to the saiyan teens flying off in the distance.

* * *

Gohan and Mia sat at the dinner table with Goten, waiting for the final platters of food to be served. Gohan's hands were in his lap as his mind wandered around how to tell his mother the news. Mia's hand inched over to his, grasping gently onto his under the table, so as not to be visible to their mothers. Both of them knew ChiChi would pitch a fit and never let them be alone if she knew they were together… kind of. It was an unofficial together, but together nonetheless.

 _You're freaking out,_ Mia said, rubbing her thumb gently on the back of his hand.

He let out a long breath as he replied, _Wouldn't you if you had to tell your Mom she was finally seeing her husband again after seven years._

 _I have to tell my Mom my Dad, who she hasn't seen in eighteen or nineteen years, will be at the tournament, and that I met him today. I'm in the same boat as you._

 _How are you so calm?_

Mia paused, unsure of how to answer that. _Because I'm with you,_ she realized.

ChiChi placed the chicken on the table as Siyaka place the last of the vegetables next to it. Gohan and Mia slid their hands out of each other's grasp quickly, losing the mental connection. "Alright, everyone. Dig in," ChiChi ordered, taking her seat at the table. Goten and Siyaka quickly dished their meals as Gohan and Mia mulled over their news.

"Mom, I've got something to tell you," Gohan started, to seriously.

ChiChi was suddenly no longer smiles, but all business. "Are you failing class?"

"No," Gohan answered, taken a bit back.

"A girlfriend?" Suddenly her eyes went wide with worry, "Please don't tell me something happened at the party a couple weeks ago, and you got a girl … _you know_." Mia almost snorted at how pale Gohan's face turned. Siyaka's brow raised as she eyed the teen hybrid, her mouth frozen in mid-chew. Goten followed the conversation like a tennis match, but it was clear he had no idea what they were talking.

"God! No!" Gohan practically croaked.

"Because I know how crazy those parties can get. I had half a mind not to let you even go. But I decided I could trust your judgement. I can't believe you would _do_ this!"

"Mom! Stop. There is _no_ girl!" he said, trying to calm down his mother's tirade. Mia tapped her foot against him, and he cleared his throat, deciding to ignore Mia's slight pout. "And no one's … _that_. I have _good_ news. Not bad."

His mother calmed down a bit, giving her son a confused look. "Oh," she breathed. "It just sounded like you had bad news."

"No," Gohan replied, dishing himself some food. "Dad's coming back."

ChiChi was silent, her eyes wide like a deer stuck in the high-beams of a car. "What?"

"He's going to visit for a day and fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament," Gohan explained.

"Oh my stars!" ChiChi squealed, lifting a hand to her mouth. "I can't believe it!" She turned to Goten and gave him a squeeze. "You get to meet your Daddy! Finally!" she cried. "Oh my god, I'd probably look like an old hag to him. It's been so long, and he wouldn't have aged in Otherworld, would he? I should get a facial, and get my hair and nails done. Maybe a new outfit."

"Mom, I wanted to ask if I could join him in the tournament," he started, and quietly added, "and maybe take off some school to train."

The flip from happy ChiChi to angry ChiChi threw everyone for a loop. "Excuse me?"

"I want to take some time off to…"

"I know what you said. But the answer is Hell no."

Gohan frowned, "But Mom, Dad's only going to be back for a day, and I'll never get this chance again!"

"You'll never get this close to getting into college again either! Need I remind you, you need scholarships to go, because we can't afford it. And the only way you're getting scholarships is if your grades are perfect!"

"But Mom, the winner gets ten million zeni! If I won, it'd be like winning a huge scholarship!"

"TEN MILLION!? You could get a PHD with that cash!" Gohan stared at his Mom hopefully. He didn't know where the scholarship argument came from, but he was very thankful he thought of it. "Alright. You can compete in the tournament."

Gohan sighed, pulling a small victorious fist down as he hissed, "Yes."

"Mom," Mia piped up. Siyaka eyed her daughter skeptically. "I'd like to compete, as well."

Siyaka frowned, putting her fork in her food as she looked at Mia. "How are your grades?"

Mia looked down at the table, "My lowest is a B in Latin. Second lowest is an A minus in history."

Her mother nodded, thinking about it. "Well, you're already out of school for the month," she reasoned. After a quiet minute, she smiled and said, "Sure."

"THANK YOU!" Mia squealed. She turned to Gohan beaming. "We can start training first thing in the morning!"

"Yeah! Goten, you want to train with us?" Mia shot Gohan a look asking him "What the hell are you doing?" _He's throwing away time where we could do anything together!_ Goten was already excitedly agreeing.

"Only if you don't interfere," ChiChi added, giving her youngest a pointed stare.

"Oh, I promise! I'll be the best training partner ever!" Goten promised gleefully. Gohan gave an apologetic smile to the Saiyan Princess. He could tell from her small scowl that she returned to him that Goten was already interfering in her training plans.

* * *

The next morning was clear and warm. Barely a breeze rolled through as Gohan and Mia stood off against each other. They both stood in sparring form in the valley Mia and her mother had grown accustomed to sparring in. Unlike Gohan, Mia wasn't wearing a training gi. She wore gray running capris, a green tank top cut off at the waist, a black beat up sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off, and tennis shoes. The super saiyan hybrid watched the princess carefully until he saw a weakness in her defensive stance. He launched at her, throwing a right hook at Mia. She stepped back quickly, dodging the blow with an easy spring in her step. She threw a kick to the left side of his skull, which he blocked with his forearm. He grabbed her ankle and swung her around. As she flew towards a cliff, Mia did an aerial flip, halting her momentum in the air. Gohan wasn't given long to admire her flying prowess as she launched back at him with a series of punches and kicks that was even more impressive. Gohan phased back, lifting a hand for a ki blast, not nearly powerful enough to cause any real damage. He fired, and she countered, knocking his blast aside with one hand and firing another with her other hand.

"GOHAN!" Goten called, pulling Gohan's attention away as he caught Mia's ki blast with one hand, whih he dispelled easily. Gohan looked around for his brother, as Mia closed the gap between them, her arms crossed. Goten came out from behind a rock with a large lizard held high over his head. "Lookit, Gohan! He reminds me of Icarus!"

Gohan scowled. "Goten, you can't keep interrupting us like this. We're supposed to be training!" Goten slowly began to pout as he let the lizard go. "Now let's put our noses to the grindstone and get work done." Mia shot Gohan an odd look. She'd never heard him so stern. She looked back at Goten who couldn't even look his older brother in the eyes, and gave a small sniffle. "Oh, Goten, I'm sorry. It's just…"

Mia held up her hand shushing Gohan easily, stepping forward to the young saiyan child. "Goten, why don't we play a training game?"

Goten instantly brightened up. "A game!?"

Mia nodded excitedly, her bangs flopping into her eyes a little. "Of course! A training game. How would you like to throw rocks at your big brother?"

Goten's onyx eyes brightened significantly as he almost became giddy. "M-Mia," Gohan started, nervously.

"Sh!" Mia hissed, not turning to the older hybrid. "What do you think Goten?"

Goten threw a fist in the air excitedly. "Yeah!" he whooped childishly. Mia grinned, gesturing for the small saiyan to follow her.

"M-Mia, how is this going to help?" Gohan argued, his fists planted on his hips as the saiyan princess guided his younger brother to stand behind a certain line she dug in the dirt with her foot about twenty feet away.

"To teach you to dodge intuitively," Mia called back. She lifted a hand and blasted a boulder with ease, reducing it to small stones, which she gathered and placed next to Goten, as she continued explaining, "It'll be kind of like dodgeball, but with rocks instead of playground balls."

"What's dodgeball?" Both Gohan and Goten asked almost simultaneously.

Mia stopped, dropping the rocks she had gathered into the pile, and stared at the brothers. "You know! 'If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball,'" she quoted, a frown slowly overtaking her face as Goten and Gohan looked increasingly confused. "I-it's only the most played game in every school gym class."

Gohan shook his head. "So far, we've only played baseball and basketball."

Mia blinked slowly at him, then turned to Goten who just shrugged. She turned back to the older hybrid and called back, "Gohan, do you even watch movies?"

Gohan seemed taken aback by this question. Of course he'd watched movies. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well, what movies?" Mia asked, her arms crossed. "Because every movie quote I throw at you, you seem confused by."

"Mostly documentaries," Gohan replied. He wasn't sure adding that it was only because his mother didn't like him watching movies unless they had some educational part to it would help him in any way. "A-and Die Hard," he added softly. He had a soft spot with that movie, thanks to his Dad watching it with him as a kid in between training sessions.

"So movies like Mean Girls, Princess Bride, Dodgeball, and Star Wars, not really in your repertoire?"

"What's Star Wars?" Goten piped in.

Gohan could almost see Mia freezing as if Goten had said something that shook her to her core. She slowly held her hand up, shaking her head. "I'm going to ignore that, and teach you about pop cultural movies _later_. Now, back to dodgeball!" She announced, grabbing a rock and handing it to Goten. "In the movie, they explain the five D's of dodgeball." She held up her hand as she listed them off. "Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, and Dodge."

"You said 'dodge' twice," Gohan stated, looking confused.

Mia turned to him and replied simply, "That's because it's the most important." She stepped away from Goten before ordering, "Let'em fly, Goten." Goten threw the first hard, almost hitting Gohan's cheek as it zoomed by him, lodging itself into the cliffside beside him. Gohan's green eyes were wide as he turned to see the rock lodged in the rock-face behind him. "Gohan, DODGE!" Mia called to him. Gohan turned back quickly to see three rocks headed his way, and moved to miss them. He continued to dodge his brother's rocks, slowly becoming accustomed to the pace.

"I-I think I'm getting the hang of it guys!" He called to them.

"Good!" Mia laughed. "Maybe I'll start throwing!" Mia reached down for a rock, but stopped when Goten dropped his own rock, looking at the ground. "Goten, what's wrong?"

Mia wasn't sure she knew what she saw in Goten's onyx eyes. Determination, hope? "G-Gohan, is it ok if I be like you now? I want to be a super saiyan now."

Gohan let out a laugh. "Oh, Goten," he said through his chuckles, "it takes years of practice to become a super saiyan. I was twice your age when I first transformed."

Mia frowned. Goten was seven. That math didn't add up. "I thought you were a super saiyan at the Cell Games."

"Yeah, but I was like twelve then," Gohan replied, not thinking.

Mia was now scowling speculatively at him. "How? I was only ten, almost eleven."

Gohan let out a small breath with a laugh, as he recalled he hadn't really let slip his annual age and biological age weren't exactly matching, thanks to the hyperbolic time chamber. "Uhm, funny thing, actually …"

He could see Mia becoming peeved as she crossed her arms and asked dangerously, "Is it, now?"

They were interrupted with a loud pip and whooshing wind, drawing their attention to the smallest saiyan whose hair stood on end and sparked, then flashed to a brilliant gold. His aura flared around him in golden hues as he finished the transformation, leaving the two teen saiyans speechless. "G-Goten?" Mia managed.

"Yeah?" Goten replied, his voice still cheery.

"How long have you been able to transform?" Gohan asked, his knees weak as he stepped towards his younger brother.

Goten shrugged. "I can't remember."

"Th-that's crazy," Gohan breathed, looking at Mia, who silently nodded her head. A thought crossed his mind, and he shot a look at Mia worriedly. "Hey Mia…"

"What?"

Gohan touched the tips of his index fingers together nervously. "Would you be mad if I sparred with Goten instead of you for a bit?"

She raised an eyebrow, and her look at him told him he was in trouble. "Is this because I'm not a super saiyan, and he is?" She could see the word "Maybe" forming in his lips, and she looked away with a scoff. Of course he was ditching her for a stronger opponent. She'd probably do the same thing, honestly. "Fine," she groused, pulling her hair out of her braid and heading through the trees. Gohan had a sneaking suspicion that that "Fine" didn't mean fine, but he wasn't about to second guess permission to train with another super saiyan!

As Mia walked through the trees, she counted out five strands of hair before ripping them from her scalp. "It's ok," she muttered to herself, as she looked at the five jet black strands of hair in her fist, "I can make my own training partners."

* * *

For what seemed like forever, Gohan and Goten fought, jumping from cliff to cliff. Goten threw punches left and right, and it was all Gohan could do to block. Vegeta had been right, he'd fallen way out of fighting shape. Seven years ago, he'd have almost no problem fighting back in super saiyan form against another super saiyan, at least if the training sessions with his father had been any indication. Goten was clearly giving it all he had, and Gohan wasn't sure if he had that much.

In the distance he heard a large explosion, causing his attention to drift in the direction it came from, the direction Mia had left in. With that distraction, Goten was able to land a punch in Gohan's stomach, causing him to heave and gasp. Goten instantly jumped back. "Gohan, are you ok? I didn't mean to hit that hard."

"No," Gohan coughed. "No, don't pull your punches. It was a good hit. I shouldn't have been distracted." Slowly, the older hybrid straightened himself up, rubbing his stomach where Goten had punched him. He let out a long breath, and stated, "You've got a hell of a punch. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Mom," Goten answered blankly. "Whenever you were inside studying, she took me outside and trained me."

"Mom?!" Gohan replied in disbelief. He knew his mom had changed a bit during the grieving process after their dad died, but he hadn't realized it was that much of a change. "Does she know you can go super saiyan?"

Goten nodded with a pout.

"What's wrong, Bro? Did she freak out?"

Goten nodded sadly again. "Yeah, she called me a monster. And told me not to transform again."

Gohan laughed. Well, at least one thing had never changed. "Well, you're the best little monster I know. And hey, if you're this good, maybe you could enter the tournament!"

Goten beamed back at him. Gohan could tell that small compliment meant the world to his little brother. "Wow! Really!? That'd be totally cool for someone my age!"

"Seriously," Gohan replied. "You got some moves, Squirt. Are you ready for round two?"

"Are _you_?" Goten countered, nervously.

Gohan laughed. _Touché._ "Yeah, let's go!"

And they were at it again, throwing punches and kicks at each other. They finally reached the highest mountain in the area, and Goten was about to have Gohan cornered against a cliff edge. Goten threw one last punch as Gohan lost his balance, shifting to flying high. "HEY! YOU'RE CHEATING! IF I CAN'T FLY, YOU CAN'T FLY!" Goten called up to his older brother.

"What?" Gohan asked exasperatedly, eyeing his little brother's angry expression. "You can't fly?"

"No!" Goten snapped. "If I could, I'd be kicking your butt! But I can't so you have to stay on the ground!"

Another explosion sounded, almost drawing Gohan's attention, if it wasn't for the roar of a jet-copter flying in the not so far off distance. Gohan frowned, trying to see the plane, only to freeze as he recognized the yellow aircraft headed towards his home. "Videl." _But why would she be here?_ "SHIT! FLYING LESSONS!" he gasped to himself. "I totally forgot!" He dropped down to Goten, beginning his explanation before he hit the ground. "Hey, I promised a classmate I'd teach her how to fly, so if you want, I can teach you both to fly."

Goten frowned. "Another girl?" Gohan nodded. "Trunks says they have cooties."

Gohan let out a bark of a laugh. "Don't believe everything Trunks tells you. Come on, let's go grab Mia and head back to the house!" Gohan headed toward the area where Mia had walked off to. Going by the sun, it had been almost an hour since he and Goten had started sparring, and she'd gone off to do her own thing. He reached out his senses to find her only to find himself standing at the beach of a lake, sensing Mia was somewhere in the middle. "MIA! Come on! We're headed home for lunch!" There was a large burst of bubbles exploding in a splash in the middle of the lake, then nothing as the water calmed. Instantly, Gohan's heart sped up as every thought of her hurt or drowning entered his mind. "MIA!" He called out, getting ready to jump in the water. Until the sound of a splash drew his attention to a form closing in on the lake's bank.

His anxieties eased as she popped her head out of the water, grasping a rock to pull herself up with. Gohan froze as he took her in. Her body was soaked from the lake, and her tank top clung to her skin. Her tail whipped around as she shook its fur free of water. She had leaned over, pushing her hair to the side as she wrung the water out of it. It was thick and long. He had never really noticed how long before since it had always been up. And seeing it down, he could tell it was actually wavy, elegantly so, while also keeping the saiyan wildness. He had to admit, seeing her there, glistening in the lake water, she was the most beautiful being he'd ever seen.

She looked up at him blankly. "What?" she asked stepping forward, her tail wrapping elegantly around her waist.

His heart beat in his ears as he tried to speak. She smelled intoxicating. It was odd. She'd never had this ability over him before, but now all he could make out was, "Uh … The house." He suddenly felt an uncomfortable need for her physically, and a small blush ran to his cheeks. He knew what was wrong this time, but he couldn't pinpoint why now. Maybe it was the lake water. He cleared his throat, trying his best to ignore the thoughts running through his mind. "Ahem. We're heading back to the house for lunch."

"Ok," Mia replied cheerfully. She began to race back to the house and called back to them, "Last one there is a rotten egg!"

"I don't wanna be a rotten egg!" Goten squealed taking off after her.

Gohan followed after them, after he adjusted his pants, trying his hardest to control his mind. But he was downwind from her, and there was something about that smell. It was driving him nuts every time he got a whiff of it.

* * *

Siyaka watched off to the side of the Son guest house as a familiar young lady begged entrance into the main Son house. It was entertaining to say the least. ChiChi wouldn't budge, bringing a smile to the saiyan woman's face.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you want, but my Gohan is unavailable," ChiChi explained to the dark-haired brunette at the door.

"My name's Videl, Ma'am. I'm a classmate of your son's."

"For the last time, I don't give two shits who you are. My son isn't here. He's very busy training for the tournament. He doesn't have time for any dates."

"No, Ma'am," Videl tried. "I was the one to convince him to join the tournament. He promised to help me on some fighting techniques."

"Oh?" ChiChi asked, an eyebrow raised as she began to assess the blue eyed girl. "Then fine. But you better keep your hands off him. He's too young to get married."

"M-married? No! It's a martial arts tournament. The two don't mix!" Videl responded flabbergasted.

ChiChi put her fists on her hips. "I _know_ people who have gotten married at the tournament. Don't think you can trick my son into one!"

"LOOK LADY –!" Videl started.

There was a rustling through the bushes until an orange and blue blur shot out. Goten was the first home with Mia following a close second. "I won! I won! I won!" Goten sang with glee, doing a small dance. As Gohan came into the clearing, Goten added, "You're both rotten eggs!" But his song and dance drew the attention of Videl. "Hey, Mom! I'm entering in the tournament!" ChiChi shot an odd look at her eldest son who shrugged.

Videl took a couple steps toward the saiyan hybrid, who's gaze was trained on the ground for some reason. She poked him in the chest with an accusing finger as she started, "So, did you think you could get out of teaching me how to fly by missing a couple days of school? You're not getting rid of me that easily!"

"N-no. I gave you my word," Gohan replied nervously, looking for an escape route.

"What word was that, Gohan?" Mia asked, her deadly glare on Videl. Gohan had to admit, even with the glare she had trained on the both of them, he still wanted the saiyan princess badly right now. What the Hell was wrong with him right now?

Videl turned to Mia, her hands on her hips as she replied challengingly, "He's teaching me how to fly. What's it to you? Or better yet, why aren't you in school either? You clearly don't have mono."

"What!?" Gohan gasped almost laughing, as his mother asked with a disgusted scowl, "Mono?"

"M-Mom, what's mono?" Goten asked, only to be shushed by her.

"No, I don't have mono," Mia replied, ignoring the Son family's reactions. "Remember, you blew my mom's cover. Now the mafia's after us."

Videl eyed her speculatively. "Ri-ight. By the way, nice _hair_ , _Shadow_." It was clear the comment wasn't meant to be a compliment. But whatever the reference was, it was lost on Gohan.

Mia sheepishly reached for her hair, before glaring at the champion's daughter, dropping her hand at her side. "Shut up! I don't look like the F-ing hedgehog!" Mia growled, her fists clenched. "And Gohan can't help you anyway, because he's training with me. Right, Gohan?" She shifted her gaze to him, only to see he was looking away sheepishly. "Gohan?"

"I-I did promise her," he stated.

"Mhm," Videl hummed, crossing her arms as a victorious smirk came over her features.

Mia's eyes went wide, and he could tell she was livid. Well, he was kind of ditching her again. " _Fine_! Teach _her_ ," Mia snipped before making a bee-line for the guest house, nearly slamming the door.

"Is she alright?" ChiChi asked Siyaka, who only shrugged.

Gohan took a deep breath before addressing Videl. "Why don't you stay for lunch, and then I'll teach you to fly this afternoon."

Videl looked at him oddly. It was clear something was off, because all of a sudden he seemed to talk in very clipped tones, like he was rushed. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Gohan replied, shaking off her worried tone. "Just…" he pointed to the house before walking around his mom and inside. Before anyone could ask him where he was going, he had shut and locked the bathroom door. As soon as he knew he was secure, he dropped his trousers to see he was engorged. "What the hell?" he groaned.

* * *

Siyaka went inside the guest house, and as soon as the smell hit her, she understood everything that just happened. "Mia, you need a shower," she ordered, seeing her daughter sitting on the couch watching tv.

Mia shot her mom an odd look. "I just went swimming in a lake," the princess replied shortly.

"Which is probably why you're so potent," Siyaka added, stepping into the bathroom, and reaching into the medicine cabinet. She pulled out a pack of pills and tossed them to Mia, which the saiyan princess caught with a frown.

"Hormone regulators?" Mia asked, giving her mom a confused look. "I'm not supposed to go in heat for another…" she counted on her fingers, then pursed her lips sheepishly. "Oh."

"Yeah," Siyaka stated, arms crossed. "You reek. Your mood swings are all over the place. Not to mention you got incredibly territorial as soon as you saw Videl."

"That could be just because I hate Videl."

Siyaka shook her head, looking away. "And poor Gohan probably had no idea what was going on."

Mia's eyes went wide as she turned to her mother. "Gohan? What's wrong with Gohan?

Siyaka sat down in front of Mia, her fingers steepled as she explained, "Gohan's part saiyan. That means his sense of smell would be slightly heightened from an average human's. And he's a male that's already gone through puberty. Do the math." Mia looked down at the pills in her hands. Siyaka tapped the package. "Take one and a shower before you come out for lunch." Mia nodded blankly as Siyaka stood up and walked out.

* * *

ChiChi set all the food on a picnic table outside with the help of Siyaka and Videl. Siyaka brought out the copious amounts of food as Videl set the table full of plates and silverware, six places. As they finished setting up, Gohan emerged from the house, looking bright and refreshed. Cheerfully, he took his seat next to his brother as Siyaka and Videl found their seats and Chichi brought out several bottles of water and Gatorade. Chichi took her seat across Siyaka, between Goten and Videl at the head of the table.

Mia walked out of the guest house not long after, her wet hair tied back in a braid, and her new shirt a baggy tank tunic with running pants and tennis shoes. Her face was a sullen as she took her seat next to her mother and Videl.

"Did you take a shower?" Videl asked, a frown on her face.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" Mia replied curtly as she dished herself some food. Gohan and his brother were already guzzling their food down.

Videl rolled her eyes, returning to her food. She took her first bites before making a satisfied groan. "Oh my God, this is so good. I should give this recipe to our cook!" Mia ignored the comment as she reached for an orange Gatorade, opening it and taking a sip.

"Your cook?" ChiChi started. "Is your family in the restaurant business?"

"What? Oh, no. I mean our cook at home."

ChiChi looked flabbergasted. "Y-you have your own cook?" Videl nodded as she took another bite. "You must be pretty loaded. How many rooms does your house have?"

"Uhm, fifty, I think," Videl replied, dishing herself seconds.

"FIFTY!" ChiChi howled, her hands splayed out on the table. Mia set her bottle down on the table gently as she watched ChiChi's reactions. "And you're going to marry this girl?!" ChiChi asked turning to Gohan, who choked on his drink, his face going red. He sputtered as he coughed up the liquid, mouthing "No."

Videl laughed. "No, Ma'am. Surely you know that Gohan and Mia…" Mia tapped her bottle, causing it to tip and spill all over Videl's plate, shirt and lap. Videl jumped up with a gasp, as Mia righted her bottle. "You clumsy bi—!" Videl began to howl, shaking her hands free of the sticky liquid.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," Mia interrupted her, jumping up and acting apologetic. "Let's go get you cleaned up before that stains," she fussed, guiding Videl by the shoulders to the main house.

Mia shoved Videl inside then shut the door. The princess grabbed Videl's wrist and dragged her back to the laundry room, as the champion's daughter fought to get her arm free. Mia let go of her as she turned on the sink, letting the water heat up. "Strip," she ordered.

Videl scowled at the saiyan girl before handing over her shirt and running shorts. Videl crossed her arms as she leaned on the washing machine in her underwear. "Do you mind telling me what that was about?"

"Nobody knows we're dating. And we'd like to keep it that way," Mia answered, dunking Videl's stained shirt in the water. "Not that you need to know."

Videl raised an eyebrow at the princess. "Why?"

"Because his mother would pitch a conniption," Mia replied blankly, wringing out the water as she applied the stain remover. She stopped scrubbing for a minute with a sigh. "Look, I know you like him and might be looking to sabotage whatever we have, but getting his mom to hate me won't help you win him over. Trust me."

Videl frowned at Mia. "I promised him I wouldn't interfere," Videl stated, "that I'd let him make his own decisions about you."

That brought Mia's attention to the champion's daughter. Was Videl not as bad as she always thought? No way. Videl was her childhood bully. And as much as one would wish, a leopard couldn't change its spots.

"So, you're right. Telling his mom wouldn't do anything but make me look bad. But you should know," Videl added, stepping in menacingly, "once whatever you two have is over, and it _will_ end, judging by the fact you're keeping your dating secret; _I'll_ be there to pick up the pieces. You can have your fun with him, now. But I know in the end, once you're tired of him, he'll be mine." With that, Videl snatched her almost clean shirt away from Mia. "You can leave now." Mia was taken aback by Videl's abrasiveness, but left the laundry room.

* * *

"Alright," Gohan started stepping towards his new pupils. Videl and Goten sat on the grass in front of him as Mia stood behind watching. She could play assistant teacher. And that gave her a plausible reason to keep an eye on Videl. Mia just couldn't get what Videl said to her in the laundry room out of her head. Was their relationship doomed to fail? _No. Videl is just trying to play mindgames to get me to end it earlier in hopes to get to him sooner. Us keeping this a secret isn't damning._ She knew keeping a relationship a secret didn't always bode well in the long run, but it didn't seem like so bad an option knowing Gohan and his mother. And her father. But was keeping their attraction a secret actually damning their long-term relationship? _Mom and Dad kept their relationship a secret for years to stay alive, and they were fine._

… _**But look at what happened**_ _,_ a darker side of her mind reminded. Her gaze shifted to her boyfriend, taking in everything about him. His calm confident stance, his friendly smile, his bright eyes, his strong physique. Gods, she hoped that it wasn't actually the case. _**He has ditched me most of today, first to train with his brother, then to train with Videl. His mother has already suggested he marry Videl. Clearly, Videl was already given clearance that even he's not sure I'll get.**_

 _But that doesn't mean anything, necessarily._

 _ **Can I be so sure? Can my heart withstand the ache of falling for someone I won't be able to have? So far, that's all that's at risk. And it's already too much if he doesn't fall too.**_

"So, to fly all you have to do is harness your ki, and push it beneath you. Then boom, you're flying!" Gohan explained excitedly, his fists on his hips. "Easy. A toddler could do it!" Goten looked thoughtful while Videl scowled at the hybrid teen. "I-I mean an incredibly talented toddler who's had years of martial arts training," Gohan added awkwardly under her intense glare. Mia rolled her eyes. Really? Why did he have to spare _her_ feelings?

Videl's hand shot in the air. Gohan gestured for her to speak. "What is this ki business?"

"Uhm, it's spiritual energy."

"Well, what's that?" Mia pinched the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a long day.

"It's like this!" Goten announced, jumping up with his hand outstretched and aimed at a boulder. In an instant, he fired a ki blast, obliterating the rock to pebbles.

Gohan stared after the blasted rock blankly as he added, "Yeah. It's like that."

Videl stared at the empty space where the boulder had recently stood with wide eyes. "Wh-what? H-how?"

"Ki," Goten answered with a smile. "It's easy!"

Videl's mouth twitched as she replied, "Well, I'm not a magician. I can't do a trick like that."

Gohan's eyes went wide, and innocent look on his face as he said, "No. No trick. Just ki."

"Gohan, she doesn't know what _ki_ is," Mia clarified with a frown, her arms crossed as she looked at the champion's daughter. Maybe Videl would finally realize just how out of league they were to her. "You need to teach her how to use ki before you teach her to fly."

Gohan frowned. "Right," he muttered, agreeing with the saiyan princess. He crossed his arms as he thought up a plan. "So, one of us should go ahead and teach Goten to fly while the other one teaches Videl how ki works," he finally offered. "So, I'll teach Go–"

" _You_ promised to teach me, Gohan," Videl emphasized, her hands on her hips.

"Right," Gohan sighed, his shoulders dropping. He sent Mia a small frown as he asked. "Do you mind showing Goten how to fly?"

Mia's heart pounded. Her mind screamed, _YES! I do mind!_ But not because of Goten. Teaching Goten to fly was going to be the easy part. It was leaving Gohan alone with Videl's poisonous persuasions that had Mia's mind and heart going a mile a minute. But if she voiced her concerns, she knew Gohan would take it the wrong way … like she didn't like Goten, which would make her look bad. She forced a smile on her face as she said, "N-no. I don't mind." Videl grinned victoriously behind Gohan, who smiled gratefully.

"Great!" Gohan beamed. "Mia will teach Goten, and I'll teach Videl."

Goten nodded excitedly, running over to Mia's side. "I'm gonna get to fly!" he sang.

Mia gave the little hybrid a smile. "Are you ready to enter the Jicama school of flying?" Goten nodded excitedly. "I'm gonna warn you, it's not easy." Goten continued nodding. Mia ruffled his hair before adding, "Alright. Go to the lake, and I'll meet up with you in a minute."

Goten gave her a weird look. "You aren't coming?"

"I just need to figure out with Gohan what time we're stopping today," Mia lied with a smile. "Now go on." Goten whooped as he turned to sprint through the trees.

Mia made her way to Gohan, giving the smug Videl a glower before pulling Gohan down into a kiss. She could feel his embarrassment and the blush going to his cheeks, just as he could sense her territorial anger directed at Videl. _**In the end, he'll be with me**_ , Videl's echo rang through their minds. And underneath all of that, he could sense Mia's insecurities, something he didn't even know existed. _ **I did promise her,**_ his voice said this time. _**You're planning on marrying this girl?!**_ his mom's comment at lunch called out. Images of him laughing with Videl at school. Then an image from the party with Gohan wrapped in Videls grasp, her mouth on his, his hands on her shoulders. There was a deep pain he could feel, a hole of worry in her heart.

 _You're with me, right?_ she asked, licking his lips for a small entrance.

He was taken aback by the question. _Why would you even ask…?_

Her hands gripped him tighter, in a desperation. _I just need to know you're with me. Through whatever. That Videl or anyone else won't convince you otherwise._

He pulled her closer, licking her tongue back, causing her to give a small squeak and sending a shockwave through her body that left her stomach and legs numb. _Of course I wouldn't. You're mine, I'm yours, through whatever. Always._ He pulled away leaving her feeling assured and breathless. He touched his forehead to hers gently, sending one last burst of love through her.

"You two finished?" Videl asked, her smile holding back a disgusted frown.

Gohan cleared his throat, turning away from Mia, who returned a brilliant smile to Videl. "Sorry, Videl. You two have fun." With that, Mia left in the way Goten had run off a few minutes before.

* * *

"Now, Goten. What do you know about energy?" Mia started, sitting Indian style across from the kid by the lake. Mia had to admit, at least the day was beautiful. The sky was pure blue with a few fluffy white clouds in it. The sun was damning with its heat, and the breeze rippling the water was warm. It was a perfect day for flying.

Goten shrugged. "It's in all living things. It's how ki blasts are formed. And it determines the strength of a person."

"Ok, so do you know the different types of ki?" Mia asked next.

Goten frowned. "Different types of ki? No."

"Yes," Mia stated. "There is Yin ki and Yang ki. Dark ki and light ki. Yin ki or dark ki is what creates ki blasts. While Yang ki or light ki is what is used for flying. Usually both kis are combined, but the better you can separate these kis the better and easier you can control your blasts and flight. That's what I'm going to teach you first."

"I'll get to control ki blasts!?" he asked excitedly.

Mia's eyebrows rose high. "You can't already?" Goten shook his head emphatically. Mia frowned. "Then I'll teach you that too, if you're going to be in the tournament." Goten began to bounce giddily, but calmed as soon as Mia put her hands up. "Now reach inside you to your ki. Try to divide the destructive feeling ki from calm feeling ki. …"

* * *

A ki blast zoomed from droid to droid around the gravity chamber. Vegeta dodged it with relative ease. He'd been training in 100x gravity for years, but for some reason he couldn't become as accustomed to it as easily as when he'd been training for the androids ten years ago. He shot another blast, allowing that one to rebound off the machines as his mind wandered. Unlike Goku, Vegeta was able to train _and_ think of other things. Fighting always gave him a sense of clarity, focus that he never had in any other endeavor.

His mind whirred around Bulma wanting a child and the strange girl Gohan had brought to his house a week before. How oddly familiar that Mia _Jicama_ was. Not to mention her saiyan name. An oddly coincidental name. General Jicama was supposed to be his father-in-law before the planet blew. Odd an earthling would have such a name. Especially since Earth was the planet where General Jicama's daughter, Vegeta's betrothed, died. But coincidence it had to be. Siyaka had died long before that girl was even born.

When it came to his wife and another child, he wasn't one hundred percent enthused about the idea. But it was what she wanted, so he consented. Before Trunks, he never really saw himself as the father type. Continuing his line through Bulma was an accident, but a part of him saw it as providential. He didn't much care for his son as a baby, but after he got to know his son as a young adult, there was an undeniable kinship between them.

Then there was his wife. She didn't look like she used to ten years ago, when he was first attracted to her. It wasn't to say he didn't still find her attractive, but there was something about her so many years ago that caught his eye.

 _ **You can say it,**_ an old voice echoed through his mind, distracting him. One of his blasts hit him, causing him to fall. He cancelled out the second blast with a simple catch and crush. He turned off the machines for a drink of water, a breather. _**She did kind of look like me at the time,**_ the voice continued. It wasn't often his imagination treated him to the ghost of his first… first everything. He could almost see her standing there next to him, leaning against the wall.

 _Don't be foolish. Nothing could look like you, Sai._

 _ **You shouldn't lie to yourself. I remember. The curly hair, the proud glint in her eye,**_ Sai continued, stepping forward to him.

He reminisced back to the day he saw Bulma outside sunbathing. The way she looked. A smile crawled on his face. _It was really the way she reacted to our old joke._

Siyaka smiled softly, fingering the scar on his chest. He couldn't feel her, but a part of him wished he could. _**The way she slapped you after you said her hair looked stupid.**_

 _Just like you did when we met._

 _ **You thought you found another version of me.**_ Her finger traced along his scar… their scar, on his chest.

 _It was the best I could hope for. After you died, I didn't think…_ She placed a finger on his lips, and he quieted.

 _ **It's ok you moved on. It's what I would have wanted.**_

 _I still miss you._

 _ **I know.**_

There was a loud knock at the door that pulled him out of his delusion. He looked around the room, where he stood alone. He raised a hand to his scar on his chest. Siyaka's scar. The one tangible evidence he had that their love had been real. "Come in," he called back to the door, thumbing the jagged edge of the scar.

The whooshed open where his son stood, fists on his hips, and his chin held high. His chest puffed out and proud. "I am entering the World Martial Arts Tournament!" Trunks announced, causing Vegeta to raise an eyebrow in amusement. He wore a white tank top and baggy gym shorts. "So, I need to train!"

Vegeta crossed his arms as he eyed his son. "Are you now," he laughed. "What brought about this decision?"

"Goten said he couldn't play today because he was entering the tournament," Trunks stated, stepping into the room. "Now I want to enter and win!"

Vegeta let out a small chuckle. _That's my boy._ "So, now you want to train?"

"Obviously," Trunks answered flippantly, throwing a punch in the air.

Vegeta laughed. "Alright. But you've got to train at my level if you're training with me." Trunks nodded giddily. He was such a child. Vegeta made his way over to the controls to turn the gravity back on. He hesitated seeing the setting at 100x gravity, and knew Trunks wouldn't be able to handle that yet. He'd trained his way up to 35x gravity whenever they trained together. Vegeta turned the dial down from 100 to 50. Trunks would be able to adjust to 50 rather quickly, while still giving Vegeta the training he needed. He powered it up seeing his son brace himself on the increase of pressure. "Remember, you asked for this," Vegeta laughed, seeing his son struggle to walk around the room, clearly warming up. Trunks nodded, lifting each arm and leg awkwardly before slamming his foot on the ground.

Vegeta rolled his eyes, going to the center of the room to throw punches and kicks. He tried his best to suppress his amused smile as he watched his son struggle around the room. After twenty minutes, and Trunks third lap, Vegeta couldn't help himself from commenting. "You know son, if it's too difficult for you, maybe you shouldn't enter. This is a serious competition."

Trunks didn't stop as he replied, "No. Goten's entering, so I'm entering."

"So, you're just going to walk laps around the room?"

The eight year-old huffed, standing straight up. "No," he breathed. "I guess I _could_ go super."

Vegeta gave another amused chuckle until his son's ki shot up as Trunks let out a yell, and in an instant his purple haired son became an eight year-old super saiyan. Vegeta stared at him flabbergasted as Trunks tested his bouncing ability before sprinting around the room with ease. _Did I miss something?_ "Come here, son." Trunks stopped what he was doing, and stared blankly at his father. "Can Kakarot's youngest son also turn into a super saiyan?"

"Uh-huh," Trunks replied blankly.

"Of course," Vegeta muttered to himself. "Well, who's stronger. You or him?"

"I am," Trunks answered quickly before adding, "only by a bit. Goten can't even fly yet."

"Only a bit?"

Trunks nodded.

"Well, that's going to have to change. Trunks, I want you to attack me."

Trunks frowned. "Why would I do that?"

"So you want to play like that? Fine. If you can land one punch in my face, we will stop training early for today and go to the park," Vegeta offered.

Trunks brightened up. "You mean it!?" Vegeta nodded. "Cool!" Trunks jumped back, getting in a battle-ready stance. Without hesitation, Trunks lept into a serious series of attacks: punches and kicks. Vegeta had some issues dodging when he realized Trunks' speed was faster than his own That would have to change as well. Trunks took Vegeta by surprise as a right hook glanced the prince's cheek. Out of reflex, Vegeta reared and punched back, shock over his own actions as he saw his son fall back, clutching his nose. "Y-you didn't say you were going to hit back!" Trunks cried.

"I-I didn't say I wouldn't either, now did I?" Vegeta covered, thinking quickly. If Bulma new he'd full-on punched their son in super saiyan mode … he didn't even want to imagine the consequences.

"N-no. B-but," Trunks sputtered, sniffling through his tears.

"Stop your crying. We're going to the park now!"

* * *

He didn't know why he promised to go to the park. He hated the park. Notoriously hated it. The only rides that caused him any rise in heart rate was the stupid teacups that made him dizzy every time. _**Remember, a Saiyan royal keeps their word,**_ he could hear Siyaka reminding him from a distant memory. He had failed in many of his promises, but that didn't mean he didn't try to keep them. But a Saiyan king couldn't be respected if he couldn't hold his promises period. He recalled the legend Siyaka often recited as her favorite. The one of his ancestor, King Vegeta II. He never could understand why that particular one was her favorite. The king had lost the battle thanks to a promise he refused to go back on.

 _ **It shows that we are an honorable people,**_ he remembered her saying one time. _**That even though we pillage and destroy planets, we never go back on our promises.**_ It was one of the many lessons she had taught him over the years that he would never forget.

"Dad!" Trunks called, tugging on his wrist, "Let's get some cotton candy!"

"More candy?" Vegeta replied, looking at the vender with a disgusted frown. His stomach ached mildly. He could go for a snack. He allowed his son to tug him over to the food vendor, ordering two cotton candies for his son and five hotdogs for himself. Silently, he paid the vendor, giving his son his candy and taking his hotdogs to a nearby table.

They ate in silence for a little while before Trunks said, "Hey, Dad?"

"What?" Vegeta replied inbetween bites of hotdog.

"We're saiyans, right?"

Vegeta dropped the hand holding this third hotdog onto the table. Trunks knew that answer. And his son was anything but stupid. He blinked at his son trying to figure out what exactly Trunks was getting at. "Of course. Why?"

Trunks shrugged. "Just something Goten told me."

Now Vegeta was really curious. "What did Goten tell you?"

"That saiyans have tails," Trunks replied innocently. Vegeta had some difficulty suppressing his laughter. The saiyan tail had never come up before, even with future Trunks. It was odd to think he'd have to go over Saiyan physiology with his son. "Well, we don't have tails! At least I don't remember having one. Gohan doesn't have one. You don't have one!"

"Yes, saiyans have tails. Mine was cut off many years ago in battle," Vegeta explained, deciding to leave out the details of his invasion of earth, and close friends of Bulma's doing the removing. "Your mother had yours removed when you were born, so you'd fit in at school better."

Trunks gave a small disgusted frown. "I had a tail?" Vegeta nodded, finishing his hotdog and moving onto the next one. "So, those girls I saw were saiyans, too? Because _they_ had tails!"

Vegeta froze as his son's words rang through his mind. He dropped his hotdog, his eyes wide.

"Dad?"

"What did you say?"

Trunks now looked scared and confused. "They had tails."

"Who?" Vegeta interrogated, his discerning scowl on his son. "Who had tails?"

"Those girls staying at Goten's house," Trunks replied shakily. _Is he angry at me or something?_

Vegeta's mind ran a mile a minute. There were more saiyans. _Women_. _Saiyan women._ Alive on _Earth_. And they were at Kakarrot's house? How was that possible? Vegeta's face fell to a glower as he realized, _Gohan. He obviously knows about this._ And Vegeta wanted answers. Now. "Go home, Trunks," Vegeta ordered as he got out of his chair.

"Wh-what? Dad!?" Trunks called out, but his father had already shot off into the sky with a speed Trunks could never hope to match. "DAD! THIS DOESN'T COUNT AS TAKING ME TO THE PARK!" Trunks yelled after his father before he crossed his arms and pouted. He could feel the eyes of the park's crowd on him, making him uncomfortable. He huffed, grabbing what was left of his father's snack and his cotton candy, walking it over the trash can and dumping the food. Once that was taken care of, he too took off, heading back towards his home.

His mood was apparent as he walked through the door and flung himself on the couch. His mother was in the kitchen, washing her usual coffee mug. "How was the park?" She called out to him.

"Dad left me there!" Trunks pouted, kicking his heels against the sofa.

"He did _what?!_ " Bulma asked, her tone dangerous. She placed the mug on the table as she walked towards her son, her arms crossed. "What happened?!"

"Nothing. I dunno!" Trunks started defensively. "We had fun on the rides, and we stopped for a snack. I asked him about the saiyan tails, because I saw those two girls at Goten's house –"

"What girls?" Bulma interrupted, dread forming a pit in her stomach.

"The saiyan girls at Goten's house!" Trunks answered, exasperatedly. "What's so special about them?"

Bulma backed away from her son, her blue eyes wide. Vegeta knew. Because her own son let it slip. And she hadn't gotten pregnant yet. And Vegeta was about to be face to face with his ex. Because Vegeta _knew_. "Shit," she whispered as she ran to the phone, dialing the Son's residence as fast as she could. At least she could warn them. _Ring. Ring Ring. Ring Ring Riiiiiiiing._ "Hi! This is the Son family residence. We aren't able to answer the phone at the moment –"

"Fuck!"

Trunks eyed his mom worriedly. She usually never cursed. "Mom?"

Bulma held up a finger as she made her way to the door, snatching up her purse and capsule pack with the airplane. "Stay here Trunks."

Bulma was gone.

"B-but what's going on?" Trunks asked dejectedly, sinking into the sofa, worry taking over his heart.

* * *

"I still can't believe you got Videl to cut off her hair," Mia laughed as she and Gohan made their way back to the Son house after a long day of training. It had been a good day. Goten had sparred with Gohan in the morning, and after lunch Goten stayed home with ChiChi while Mia and Gohan had some time to spar and enjoy each other without any watchful eyes. Gohan counted it as one of the best training days he'd ever had. And he thanked all the powers that be that his days teaching Videl how to fly were over. It had taken her a couple days to master ki and fly, and Mia was more than happy to see her fly out of Mount Pouzu for the last time.

"Why?" Gohan asked innocently, his hands rested around his red gi belt. "It's completely practical with fighting and flying. Haven't you thought about cutting your hair to fight?"

Mia scoffed, playing with the end of her onyx braid. "I'm a purebred saiyan. There would be no point. It would grow back the way it was within a day or two."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's one of the reasons I keep it in a braid. That and Shadow the Hedgehog comments," Mia paused, halting in her footsteps as she added dangerously, "That wasn't a hint that you prefer short-haired girls, was it?"

"What?" Gohan replied nervously, sticking his hands up. "I don't care about hair length. Honestly. I just remember how unmanageable fighting was when I had long hair."

Mia let out a laugh. " _You_ had long hair?" Gohan nodded. "How long?" He gestured to his lower back. Mia chuckled, her hand over her mouth as she shook her head. "That's ridiculous. No way. I just can't see you with long hair."

Gohan ran his hand bashfully through his hair. "Yeah, Dad cut it really short for me just before the Cell Games, and I just kept it that way."

Mia mussed his hair, enjoying the silky strands in her fingertips as she laughed, "Good. Short hair suits you. _But_ I'm gonna need some photographic evidence of your long hair. For ridicule reasons."

Gohan smiled at her joking banter. "You'll never find them."

"So there _are_ photos!" Mia inferred excitedly. Gohan looked away suspiciously. "I now have my mission. Operation Mullet commences!" she announced with a fist pump in the air, before running to the house.

"M-Mia! Wait!" Gohan called after her, picking up his pace.

As they reached the house, they found ChiChi, Siyaka, and Goten getting ready to leave. "What's going on, you guys?" Mia asked as she slowed down, taking in her mother, who for the first time Mia had really seen in years, was dressed nicely. Siyaka wasn't one for jewelry and heels, but if the event called for it, she wore a dress. She wore a long-sleeved mesh purple dress with her signature black flat boots. That was dressy for the Jicama matriarch. ChiChi and Goten were dressed much more formally. ChiChi wore a yellow and black lace dress with black pumps. And Goten was in a dress shirt, golf shoes, suspenders, and a maroon bow-tie.

"Dad's having a festival at the village for their hundred-fiftieth anniversary celebration," ChiChi explained, fishing for her car keys in her purse. "If you're joining us, you'll have to hurry to get ready."

Gohan frowned with a sigh. "We've got that history paper due on Monday," he reminded. He turned to Mia, chewing on the inside of his lower lip. "What do you think? Should we go?"

ChiChi shook her head emphatically. "If you've got homework, you're staying," she decreed.

Mia gave his arm a light tap. "I'll stay with you. We can crank it out together. I'll even cook," Mia offered excitedly. Gohan gave her a big smile, showing her he was grateful.

"Thanks, Mia," Gohan replied.

"Don't mention it. We'll see you when you get back," Mia stated. She gestured to the guest house. "Lemme grab my books." Mia excused herself, making her way to her room in the guest house. She rummaged through her backpack for her history books and laptop. After thirty minutes of packing up what she needed, and unpacking what she didn't, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and made her way to the main house, where she could see Gohan setting up the kitchen table through the window. The kitchen phone rang, and Gohan moved to answer it before he stopped, seeing something in the window. She reached for the door knob, her hand grasping the brass.

"Stop right there," a voice behind her ordered. Her eyes were wide and her heart pounded. She knew that voice. _But what's he doing here?_ She turned to see her father dressed in a blue t-shirt and khakis, his arms crossed and his onyx glare on her. "I knew your Saiyan name couldn't be a coincidence. Show it to me."

"Wh-what?" Mia stammered, her heart beating in her ears.

The front door swung open behind her. "Vegeta. What brings you out here?"

Vegeta's deadened glare didn't move to the hybrid, but stayed trained on Mia. "My son told me something very interesting today." He paused dramatically, but in her gut Mia knew what the prince was talking about, even though she had no idea how Trunks found out. "That your family is harboring two women … _with tails_."

"Well, Vegeta…" Gohan started.

But the prince cut him off, "He also mentioned Goten saying they were saiyans." His gaze fell back to Mia, his glare cold. "And oddly enough, here is a young woman with a saiyan surname."

"Vegeta, don't be …" Gohan tried, but stopped when Mia held up her hand.

"Gohan, stop. He knows." With a sigh, Mia reached back into her pants, pulling out her tail. It waved in the air, slinking out of her grasp. The fur stood on end a little as it adjusted to the cool evening air.

Vegeta watched the tail wag in the air, his mouth curled in a victorious smirk. That proved it. "How did you come to Earth?"

"I-I was born here," Mia answered nervously.

"Impossible. No saiyans other than Kakarrot were on Earth long ago enough to conceive a child your age," Vegeta refuted.

"Conceive? No," Mia replied. "But I _was_ born here."

Vegeta scowled. _That doesn't make any sense._ "Explain."

"V?"

Vegeta froze, his heart pounding. Was this his imagination again, tricking him with her voice and visage? He turned to see her in a dress he didn't recognize. She'd aged a little, but that was to be expected after over eighteen years. Her jet black hair still haloed her face in angelic curls. Her normal gaze was less steely and more bittersweet. This couldn't be his imagination, yet he could hardly believe it. She was dead … _wasn't she?_

"Sai?" he breathed.

* * *

AN: I know. I did it again. Sorry. I'd been waiting to get to this cliffhanger for months. Now the fun begins. The next chapter is called "The Tragic Love Story of Sai and V" just to give you an idea of what's coming up. I hope you all liked the chapter. Please remember to leave a review!


	10. Chapter 9

**AN:** Hi all. I hope ya'll are ready for this! Surprisingly, it's a longer chapter than the previous one! Although, I am cramming in a 5-year love story with a tragic ending in it, so maybe 30 pages is a good length for it. I had so much fun writing this, you have no idea! The only reason it took so long was work. And after watching Sunday's episode of DBSuper, I was ecstatic to see that I had actually written all the past stuff in character for Vegeta, going by how he reacts with other Saiyans who he doesn't think are annoying (ie, Goku). It was one of those "I am goooood!" moments. But then again, my sister did just point out that we've been DBZ fans for 18 years, so if I didn't know how to write the characters right, … well, then I wouldn't be a good fan.

That, and I've definitely earned my M rating for this story. There is a Lemon, but I'm not telling you where it is (though it should be obvious when it comes up), because honestly, if you can't handle a lemon, why are you reading and M rated story to begin with? Not only that, but some gross things happen that most stories probably wouldn't go in detail with, but oh well.

Also, I told ya'll I wanted to do something special for my book, since March 19th was its first anniversary of being published. Well, I've designed a new cover, I'm just waiting on another professional review (which is already a couple weeks late), before I officially change it on Amazon. I also might gift a copy out if one or two of you would like to review it for free (on amazon or goodreads). If you are interested, PM me, and we'll talk.

That being said, check out my book on Amazon, Midnight Over Moores. And always remember to review after reading!

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything Dragonball related. That's owned by Akira Toriyama.

 **Chapter 9**

 **The Tragic Love Story of Sai and V**

Goten laughed in the backseat as he pointed out the shapes of the clouds. They hadn't been in the car long. Twenty minutes at most, when ChiChi's phone began to ring. She hit a button on her steering wheel, pulling up the Bluetooth call feature. "ChiChi, are you there!?" the voice was frantic.

"Yes, Bulma. What's wrong?" ChiChi replied calmly.

"Vegeta," the woman on the line replied, garnering Siyaka's attention. "He's on his way over to your house, because Trunks told him about Mia and her mother. Which, by the way, _why_ didn't you tell me they were _staying_ with you!?"

Chichi put on her flashers and pulled off the road as she replied, "What does it matter? So there are saiyans staying at my house." She slammed the car into park as she frowned out the window. She didn't care for the genius's tone at the moment. "Big whoop."

"The big WHOOP is that Mia's mother faked her death nineteen years ago when she found out she was pregnant with Vegeta's child, aka Mia," Bulma howled over the phone. ChiChi shot a dumbfounded look to Siyaka. The saiyan lady rolled her eyes, opening the door to the car and flying back to the house as fast as she could. Yes, this was definitely a mess. "So you need to warn them … what' just happened?"

"Well Siyaka was in the car, and now she's flying back to the house," Chichi answered tiredly, rubbing her eyes. "I'm turning around. It'll be twenty minutes, though."

"I'm flying over currently. He might already be there," Bulma stressed.

* * *

 _The saiyan throne room had never been a place for children. At least that's what her mother always told her. Siyaka was young. Five, almost six in a few months. She stood next to her mother and father in the throne room, fingering the dress her mother had forced her in. Her mother, Sorreli, was never really strict about how Siyaka dressed. Being of noble birth, Siyaka always wore the finest silks, even if it was usually pants and a tunic, like the other noble boys when they weren't off planet. But today was special. Her mother had told her that they had a meeting with the royal family, and Siyaka had to look her best._

 _The dress she wore had slitted sleeves of red silk. Her small saiyan armor ended at her waist, where her red silk skirt started. She had a gold headband adorning her hair, sparkling against her black curls. Her tail wagged about as she looked around. Her mother clicked her tongue at that, reminding Siyaka that a lady doesn't wag her tail like a common schnup, of which she had three at home. They made great pets._

 _Her mother, Sorreli, was dressed similarly, but her silk remained white with gold trimming. Her father wore his saiyan uniform. Black with gold trimming. His black pants covered strong legs ending at his black boots._

 _It wasn't often her father was home from a mission. She reacquainted herself with his curly black hair, which she had inherited; his strong, tall build; and his hardened gaze._

 _If her father was the battle hardened warrior, her mother was the opposite. Sorreli had a kind face, and stick straight hair that flared out at her waist. She wore a small diadem with white crystals in them, showing off her status as a noblewoman and former lady of the Saiyan Court._

 _The room was large with sinister blue columns aligning the sides, hoisting up the cathedral ceiling. A red rug was placed leading to the throne, which sat on a pedestal of stairs. Behind it was a stained glass window of the Saiyan insignia, which reminded Siyaka of a trident._

" _Lady Sorreli, General Jicama, welcome!" a voice greeted._

 _Her parents turned towards it and bowed. Siyaka followed suit, noticing the woman walking towards them wearing a pointed iron crown adorned with obsidian jewels. She looked fierce. Her eyes seemed held in a perpetual glare, even with the sincere smile she had at seeing old friends. Her hair was pinned back away from her face with jewel crusted pins, but it was still wild, like the stem of a rose. Her cheekbones were prominent, but her fair skin and jaw line made it clear she was also born of high rank. The crown made it clear this was the Saiyan Queen, Celeria. From the immediate history Siyaka had been taught in her training, she was only queen by her marriage to King Vegeta XIV. Were he to die, she would become regent until their son, Prince Vegeta XV reached an age he where he could rule. If Prince Vegeta died before then, she'd continue her regency through until their second son, Prince Tarble, could take over the throne. Tarble had only been born two months before._

 _Behind the Queen stood a young boy, a couple years older than Siyaka. His hair stood on end in flame-like formation. His glare seemed more bored than angry, as he held his arms behind his back, underneath his red cape. He wore normal saiyan armor, white and gold, but with black pants and white boots. On his chest rested the symbol of the saiyans._

" _It's been so long since you've been at court," the queen chided, pulling Sorreli in for a short hug. "I hope everything has been good for you out at your estate."_

" _It has," Sorreli replied, a genteel smile on her face. "Taro is about to return from another raid, and we are preparing a feast for his return." Taro was Siyaka's older brother by ten years. While Siyaka looked mostly like her father, other than the eyes, nose, and height of her mother she inherited, Taro was the perfect mixture of the two. He was the golden child, at least, he was noticeably the General's favorite. They shared the same height and interests in battle, while Taro also got their mother's sweet disposition. Not to mention his inheritance to the General's status and lands made his prospects vastly more valuable than Siyaka's._

" _Having him home is sure to be a treat," The queen replied, before she turned to Jicama with a smile. "And I hope my husband, the King, hasn't kept either of you away for too long, Jicama."_

 _The general replied stoicly, "Our time is the King's time. His orders are no infringement." Sorreli frowned and looked away, something the queen silently took note of. "Now, if I may be so bold as to ask what this meeting was called for? Why was Siyaka requested for your presence?"_

 _The queen's smile this time was not so sincere. "V, why don't you and Siyaka go play while the adults talk," the queen more ordered than offered. The young prince nodded, guiding Siyaka over to a corner. Siyaka was sweet as she almost skipped beside the prince, while Vegeta was less than enthused. "Well, General, the King and I have finally come to an agreement on some serious matters pertaining to the future and succession of the Saiyan race. One of which is the matter of our eldest son's betrothal."_

 _The general seemed at a loss, while Sorreli began to beam at the prospect. "You want Siyaka to marry the prince?"_

 _The queen nodded. "She's the only noble the right age and with the monogomy gene required for the queenship. Not to mention her pedigree as a warrior, through Jicama, and as a noble, through Sorreli, makes her an ideal candidate to take over the queen's throne." When Jicama seemed nonplused by these accolades, the queen added a little more sternly, "This is the will of both myself and the King. It's not something you can say 'No,' to." The General looked away, avoiding the penetrating glare of the queen. A small smile fell over her face at his reaction as she added, "Of course, Siyaka will have to live here at court from now on. And she'll also join Vegeta's team on certain excursions."_

" _Your Highness," Sorreli started nervously, cautiously, "as wonderful as this prospect is, I'm afraid I must inform you that Siyaka has had little formal training. She knows the basics: flight, ki blasts, and of course some of Jicama's ki finesse. But she has never really seen battle. Are you sure it's wise to place her on the prince's team, when he's so experienced? You don't think she'll endanger them with her lack of battle knowledge?"_

 _The queen laughed. "My dear, Sorreli," she chided, as a friend, "Siyaka will be well mentored before her first mission with my son. We haven't picked out the General yet to train her, but I'm positive she'll be ready."_

" _Your highness," Jicama spoke up, his gaze focused on the ground, and his stance formal, "would you please accept my offer in training Siyaka here at court?"_

 _The queen eyed him speculatively. "Do you approve of the match, General?"_

" _It's not something I can say 'No,' to," he replied, quoting the queen. His gaze was stern and focused on the queen, who only gave a small victorious smile. "If that's the case, I'd like to be the one to train Siyaka to better control her ki in the ways that only_ I _can teach her," Jicama clarified. The General was never one to lie, even if it might have saved his head._

 _The queen grinned. "Of course you can join her here, and oversee her training. You and Sorreli will have some quarters set aside here in the palace." She took a relieved breath. "Well, if that's all settled and we are in agreement, we'll plan for the betrothal ceremony to be in one week. That should give you each time to get ready."_

 _Sorreli bowed her head as she replied, "Yes, your highness." The General begrudgingly bowed._

 _The queen clapped her hands, and with a cat-like smile, she said, "Perfect."_

 _Siyaka watched the adults talk from afar, and voiced, "What do you think they're talking about?" The prince didn't reply as he looked at the little girl. He'd heard the word betrothal tossed around all day today from servants to even his mother. He wasn't stupid. He knew it meant they had picked out a mate for him; which of course he was against even at eight years old, but it was tradition._

 _As he looked at the girl a scowl overcame his features. He couldn't believe she was their pick for him to mate with. She was weak, young, and a little homely. And talked too much. She had already asked five questions, even without a response. She was wearing on his nerves. And her hair. Curly hair was a rarity in saiyans, and on her father, it looked odd with his strong features. But on her, it was ridiculous amount of poof for any child._

" _Hello. Are you going to ignore me the whole time?!" Siyaka snapped at the prince, her face contorted into a scowl, and her hands on her hips. "Say something!"_

 _Vegeta looked at her with a blank expression as he replied, "Your hair looks stupid, just like the rest of you." Her eyes went wide. And with a flash and a resounding "SMACK!" her hand flew around, contacting with his cheek and leaving it red._

 _Subconsciously, Vegeta's hand went and covered his reddening cheek as he looked at the girl in shock. Siyaka's mouth was contorted in a pout as tears threatened to spill over her eyes. "MEANIE!" she yelled, before stomping away from the prince, rubbing her tears from her eyes._

* * *

As Siyaka neared the house, she could hear people arguing. She saw Gohan and Mia standing outside as she came in to land behind a slightly shorter man. "No saiyans other than Kakarrot were on Earth long ago enough to conceive a child your age," Vegeta reasoned, his tone gruff and full of distrust.

"Conceive? No," Mia replied. "But I _was_ born here."

Siyaka landed with a silent "tp" of her toes. Her heart pounding as she stared at the back of Vegeta's head. There was no denying it was him. She'd recognize his flame styled hair anywhere.

Vegeta tensed, his biceps flaring as his grip tightened. "Explain," he ordered.

"V," Siyaka called, her heart feeling like it seized as she let out the syllable. It had been so long since she had seen him. She wasn't sure she was ready to see him again. Not after everything that had passed. Not after almost nineteen years of their life spent apart. Not after he'd moved on. That was probably the most difficult part of their situation. He had mourned her and moved on to love another. Siyaka never would be able to.

She could see his spine going rigid as his head turned slightly to her, like he had heard the voice of a ghost. He turned slowly to face her, his eyes wide with disbelief. Not just disbelief, but hope. A hope so deep it seemed to haunt him. "Sai?" he barely breathed. Her name in his uncertain voice was the hardest blow to her heart she had ever felt. She could see the questions whirring through his mind behind his haunted eyes, and suddenly she was overwhelmed.

She could barely breath as her heart refused to beat under his gaze. Her eyes began to burn with tears under his pained gaze, forcing her to look down. "I'm sorry, Vegeta," was all she could say around the lump forming in her throat as she tried her best to control her breathing.

* * *

 _Vegeta entered Frieza's office, his gaze finding the window, the black sky to fixate upon. He had learned long ago to not look the galactic emperor in the eyes. And the Galactic Empire's capital and prize jewel and Frieza's home, the dark planet Jotun, was well known for its constant dark skies and often frozen landscape. Vegeta gracefully kneeled on one knee, bowing his head a little as he said, "You requested my presence, Sire."_

" _Yes, Vegeta," Freiza purred back, his voice curling like shaved metal. Vegeta knew his cue for him to stand and did so, his gaze finding the window again. "I have a new soldier for your team."_

 _Vegeta's control broke a little as he looked at the Frost alien with confusion. "Sir?" As far as he knew, his team was considered one of the best functioning teams under Frieza's control. Nappa may not have been much in the brain department, or Raditz in the strength department. But their shortcomings were not only covered by Vegeta, but further highlighted the prince's strengths. They worked together well. Any new members would throw off their rhythm, which would throw off their efficiency. "Are you sure adding a new member would be…"_

" _Vegeta?" Frieza interrupted, his tone dangerous, causing Vegeta to snap his mouth shut. "I'm beginning to wonder if you remember your_ place _."_

 _Vegeta's heart pounded as he tried his best to control his fear. He should have known better than to speak up against the tyrant. "S-sorry my lord," Vegeta said quickly, his head bowed again._

 _Frieza was silent a moment as he regarded the young prince. His hate for the monkey and his entire breed swelled a little. He measured the pros and cons of murdering the prince and his saiyan team immediately, but calmed, reminding himself of the whole reason he took Vegeta under his wing. Of all the saiyans that had been born, Vegeta had the most potential for becoming a super-saiyan. If Frieza could get the prince to achieve that, all the while still maintaining his control over the nineteen-year-old royal thorn in his side, Frieza would be able to control the whole galaxy, with Vegeta as his main enforcer. The only thing he currently lacked was a control over the prince's loyalties. And if the next plan worked, he'd have that too._

" _As I was saying," Frieza continued coldly, "your new teammate is an old friend." He made a motion to Zarbon, who nodded, reaching for the door behind him._

 _The door slid open, and the green man said, "Lord Frieza will see you now."_

 _Out stepped a young woman with curly black hair and tough black eyes. Her armor accentuated her breasts and waist, making each look dangerously curvier. Her purple spandex stopped at her upper arms, showing off her shoulders, collar-bone, and cleavage. She wore white boots and gloves, similar to the prince himself. Her dark brown saiyan tail wrapped around her waist elegantly. Vegeta almost couldn't believe his eyes as he began to feel his heart thud in his throat. She may have been a bit homely as a child, but she had definitely grown into a gorgeous young woman. He hadn't seen her since just after the planet blew, and Frieza separated their teams, her with her father and him with Nappa and Raditz._

 _His gaze shifted quickly to the tyrant as he wondered,_ What could Frieza be playing at?

" _If my memory serves me correctly, this is your old mate, correct," Frieza stated fiendishly._

 _A blush crept over the prince's cheeks as he thought of what the emperor was implying. "No, my lord. We were too young to ever actually become each other's mate," Siyaka corrected, her voice, though nervously shook, rang clear like a bell. "We were each other's intended."_

" _Of course," Frieza purred, ignoring her semantical correction. "Well, poor Siyaka has found herself without a team. So she'll be joining yours." He looked at the two teenage saiyans beginning to crush on each other with a little disgust. Honestly, the idea of the prince actually mating was a disgusting thought to the tyrant. But it was necessary for the plan to work. "You're dismissed."_

 _Vegeta and Siyaka gave the frost alien a bow before exiting the room. They walked in silence for a minute, Vegeta's mind whirring as to what Frieza could be planning, putting her on his team. "So," Siyaka started, "Long time, no see." Vegeta eyed the sixteen-year-old saiyan woman before returning his gaze forward. She raised an eyebrow at him as she added, "What, no witty comment?"_

 _A small smirk came over his face, barely able to resist himself. "Your hair_ still _looks stupid."_

 _Siyaka rolled her eyes, giving him a slight shove to the wall. "And you haven't changed a bit," she replied as the prince found his footing, glaring at the noblewoman. She dared to push him, to presume she was better than him. Her eyes found his, and her brow rose to a semi-concerned form. "That didn't hurt your feelings, now did it?"_

 _A small sinister smile crept on to the Prince's face as he said, "Follow me." He led her back to the training rooms, taking her into an open one. This way he could punish her without incurring the wrath of the frost tyrant. "I need to know if you can actually fight."_

 _Siyaka smirked, her arms crossed. "Is that all? I guess it's not like I've been on another team of Frieza's, taking out planets myself for the past ten years."_

" _You haven't been on my team for the past ten and a half years," Vegeta corrected, as he locked the door. "I only accept the best on my team."_

" _Isn't Raditz on your team?" Siyaka scoffed, interrupting the prince._

 _Vegeta scowled at her. "And how do I know you're better than him?" He asked calmly, not looking at her. In an instant, he phased in front of her, a fist flying to her left cheek. She blocked it with ease, snatching his wrist and holding it above her, and placing a blast in her hand at his stomach._

 _Her eyes connected with his glare. "Checkmate, Prince," she said with a smirk. She was enjoying this._

 _Vegeta let out a growl as he set off the blast and maneuvered around his caught arm, making him able to deliver a kick to her side, sending her flying into the wall. She coughed up a little blood from being kicked in the diaphragm. She let out a grunt as she tried to stand up, only to get pinned to the wall by the shoulders, Vegeta's forearm bearing down on her collarbone. He held a small blast in her face. It wouldn't do much damage, but then again he didn't want to kill her either. He laughed at her helpless position. "It's not over until I say it's over."_

" _Is that so?" she grunted back, an odd look in her eye. He felt something graze his back so gently through his armor. She smiled, her eyes gaining a lusty look in them. It threw him off, his grip lessening slightly, but not enough for her to get fee. Her gloved fingers found their way to the base of his neck, and he shivered against their gentle caress._

What is she doing? _his mind whirred._

 _She pulled him towards her with an unforeseen force, and her lips connected with his. His onyx eyes went wide as alarm bells went off in his mind. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. She shouldn't be acting like this. He didn't know how to counter this. And for the first time ever, the prince was at a loss._

 _She pressed her tongue against his lips, and on instinct he let her in, his heart pounding in his ears from exhilaration. His eyes fluttered closed as her tongue battled against his for ground as a knot began to form in his stomach._ What is this? _he thought vaguely as his arms snaked their way around Siyaka, his body begging for more against his confused mind._

You seem to be enjoying this, _Siyaka chided into his mind, opening their psychic link. Her voice in his mind startled him a little. She was planning something, and she had forced her way to gain access to something no one had ever had before, his mind. Before he could react, her knee came up sharply, hitting him squarely in his manhood, causing him to gasp and let go of her, clutching his hurt member as he collapsed in on himself. He could barely breath from the shooting pain. "Never drop your guard, Prince," Siyaka laughed as she stepped over him. "I'll see you in the dining hall."_

 _As he groaned on the floor, he had to commend her tactical prowess. She was the first to best him on brains and not on strength._

* * *

 _A knock sounded on Siyaka's chamber door, waking her from a somewhat happy dream, which was few and far between recently. She looked at the clock, seeing it was two and a half hours before the base usually got up. With a sigh, she swung her legs off her gray bed and crossed the stark white room in the darkness before pressing the button to command the door to slide open. She rubbed her eyes, letting out a small yawn. "Yes?" she grumbled slowly, her eyes beginning to register the light of the hallway._

 _When she heard Vegeta clear his throat, she looked at what she was wearing. She wore a skin tight spandex, under armor tank top with no chest support and under garments. She huffed at his uncomfortable expression, too tired to really give two shits about what she was wearing. If he had a problem, he shouldn't have woken her up at this ungodly hour. "What do you want, Vegeta?"_

 _He brought his gaze back up to her tired eyes as he stated planely, "Frieza wants you and I to ship out on a mission in ten minutes."_

 _Siyaka blinked at the prince before she huffed, "Ten minutes!? I can't get ready in ten minutes!"_

 _Vegeta let out a small chuckle. "You better try."_

* * *

 _It took two days to fly out to planet Nirefd, one of the last planets of the Erisidian Galaxy's republic left standing. It was an outpost dwarf planet, with fairly weak yet brilliant inhabitants. The planet only circumference only 4,760 miles at its equator, and a population of 1.93 million, it was easily one of the quickest jobs Vegeta had been assigned. However, with the planet being so small, it's moons weren't large enough to trigger a transformation. Still, he projected they'd be ready to return in only two days. The Galactic Empire under Frieza and the Erisidian Republic had been at war for at least eight years, and with the ER down to its last couple planets, Frieza was poised to take Planet Erised right after Vegeta and Siyaka took Nirefd._

 _The first day held a successful slaughter. As with most of the deployments to the ER, the planet was to remain unharmed for selling or Frieza's own ownership. Nirefd was the coldest planet in the system, but wasn't even close to the sometimes blizzard conditions of Jotun. But with every breath they had, clouds of smoke puffed out in front of them as they walked through the desolated town, a victim of their destruction._

" _Where are we going?" Siyaka asked, suppressing a shiver down her spine._

 _The prince shot her a short look before turning back to look ahead, "The pods."_

 _Siyaka stopped, the souls of her boots grinding against the stone road. "Why?"_

 _Vegeta stopped, rolling his eyes at his annoying companion's questions. "Well, it's almost night. So, rest." He tried his best to keep his composure as his stomach growled loudly. He scowled at Siyaka who bit her lip to hold back a laugh. If her expression wasn't at his expense, he'd think it was attractive._

" _Or," Siyaka offered, pointing at a semi-ruined house on the side of the road, "we could eat and camp here in a town that obviously has food and shelter no one is going to be using."_

 _The prince opened his mouth to refute her as his stomach growled again. He huffed at his own weakness and scanned the structure with his scouter. He knew they had made good work of the town, destroying the towns people and most of the buildings. There wouldn't be anyone in the house, but it was better to be safe. Once he saw no lifeforms in the house, he followed her to the abandoned house. She shoved the door open with her shoulder, which swung open, banging against a wooden cabinet. As they walked in, they took in the quaint house. There was a sitting area and a dining area just off the kitchen. Towards the back were a couple bedrooms and a bathroom. In the sitting area was a fireplace, which Siyaka walked over to first, placing some reddish brown logs sitting next to it into the fireplace and bursting a fire in them with a small blast._

 _Vegeta made his way to the cabinets, obviously looking for food as he opened one after the other not finding any. Siyaka made her way to the cooling chest, opening it to find a cake reading "Happy Birthday Daddy," in Erisidian symbols, with lots of other foods, leftovers, drinks. The way she held the chest door open caught Vegeta's attention. "Anything good in there." She remained silent as she stared at the cake, a knot of self-loathing filling her stomach. "Siyaka?"_

" _Do you ever just think about how shitty our job makes us?" she asked, her voice full of melancholy. Vegeta immediately turned off his scouter, setting it on the counter. He motioned for her to do the same, and she did._

" _Never make a comment like that when they're listening in," Vegeta ordered, his face stern. He didn't need anyone from his team giving Frieza a reason to kill them._

 _Siyaka frowned. "Well do you? I can't be the only one." When he didn't say anything, she added, "Really. Killing defenseless children,_ citizens, not warriors _! That doesn't bother you."_

 _Vegeta closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh. "Of course it does. But it's not our job to protect the weak from the strong. If they can't protect themselves or adapt to Frieza's agenda, then their death becomes a necessity."_

 _Siyaka's eyes were wide as she looked at the prince. "You don't actually believe that, do you?"_

 _There was a moment of silence as Vegeta's eyes dropped, focusing on the ground. His own words justified the desolation of his own race, something few people knew was actually a planned action from the frost tyrant. An action he prayed to one day avenge his people for. In his heart, he knew he didn't believe his own speech. "No," Vegeta breathed, allowing himself to be sincere with one of his teammates for the first time, "but not acting like you believe it is dangerous."_

He actually cares a lot about those close to him, _she realized. Siyaka gained an odd look, as if she was realizing something about the prince for the first time._ If he truly didn't care, he wouldn't be warning me, and instead he'd let my own thoughts betray me in the long run. _Vegeta returned her confused gaze with one of his own as he asked, "What?"_

 _Siyaka gave a small smile as she said, "Nothing. It's just comforting to realize you're not as heartless as you seem."_

 _Vegeta looked a little alarmed at that, before he covered it up with a small snort of derision. "Don't be ridiculous."_

 _Siyaka grinned at his fluster. "Nope, it's undeniable now." She lowered her voice, sidling up to him in a friendly demeanor, "But if you're worried about others figuring that out, don't. Your secret is safe with me." A small blush crept to his cheeks, causing Siyaka to laugh, patting his chest gently. "Let's eat."_

 _After Siyaka surprised Vegeta with her cooking skills, they settled on the couch next to the fire. They stayed up talking about humorous missions they'd each gone on and memories of Vegeta's court. Vegeta wasn't sure when they ended up drifting off to sleep, but when he woke in the early pre-dawn hours, the fire had died down to embers and the cold was able to reach them a bit. Vegeta found Siyaka had curled up with a blanket under his arm, her head rested on his chest and shoulder. She hummed softly in place of snores, like a purring schnup taking a nap in the sunlight back on Planet Vegeta._

 _Had it been Nappa or Raditz who had the audacity to snuggle up to the prince, he'd have beaten them within an inch of their life with one of their own limbs. But as he stared at Siyaka, her peaceful and calm disposition made him feel oddly safe. And a small irrational terror crept into his mind that if he woke her up and disrupted that peaceful feeling, it would never return. And in a small part of his heart, he realized he didn't mind her curling and snuggling into him for warmth._

* * *

"Y-you died," Vegeta breathed, his mind barely able to process the information standing in front of him. "You're dead!"

Siyaka frowned. "No, I didn't," she confessed, her onyx eyes not leaving his.

"I listened to you die!" he declared, heartbreak in his voice as if he was reliving her death in some small way. "Your pod exploded! I heard you screaming for your life!"

Siyaka took a small step forward, steadying her stance and heart. Every reminder of what she did to destroy his world, even if it was for the greater good, hit her like he was blasting her himself. "No, you didn't," she cried, wiping a tear from her eyes. "I never died. It was a lie."

Vegeta's eyes went wide, his mind whirring from the news of her betrayal. He'd long learned from Frieza that anyone can betray anyone. But hearing someone he trusted, someone who he had actually let into his mind, someone who knew him so intimately could be capable of doing that to him tore his heart to shreds. As his mind felt as if his reality was being ripped apart, his voice was barely able to croak out, "Why?"

* * *

 _A couple weeks had passed, and their new complete team had finally gotten an assignment, planet Erised. The inhabitants of Erised were somewhat peaceful, with the Republic's more warrior-like races on other planets in the system that had been already destroyed. Erised was the Republic's gem and capital, and the last of the population of the Republic's had gathered to the last bastion of their galaxy. Frieza had begun the war on the Erisidian Republic because he wanted a few of the planets for their healing properties the minerals they possessed. To say the Erisedians were willing to give up their minerals would have been crediting them with brains they did not have. It didn't take long to destroy most of their race, the last vestiges of which had sought refuge on Erised, which on the fourth and final day of the assignment had been cleansed._

 _Vegeta, Nappa, Raditz, and Siyaka enjoyed a feast in the castle's great hall. Raditz had found the Erisidian King's finest wine and rolled several barrels to the hall, breaking them open to let the red liquid flow. Nappa passed out goblets of wine filled to the brim. Raditz held his aloft, sloshing its contents onto the floor a bit. "To another planet conquered!" he cheered before downing the glass. Nappa whooped, downing his drink as well._

 _Vegeta was never one to over-do the drinking like his counterparts, but he sipped on his drink. He noticed Siyaka looking at the goblet oddly. "You aren't drinking," he whispered to the saiyan female._

 _She shook her head, "I-I was never allowed to on Dad's team."_

 _Vegeta's eyes narrowed at her tone. She sounded sad, thoughtful. "Well, you're not on Daddy's team anymore! Drink up!" Nappa laughed tactlessly. Vegeta shot his old trainer a dangerous look, but like usual, Nappa drank his drink and was merry despite the prince._

 _Raditz was a little more caring as he sat next to Siyaka, his hair sweeping the floor around the chair. "What happened to your team?"_

 _Siyaka fingered the goblet, as if contemplating its contents. "On our last mission, we split up to corral the last of some race Frieza wanted for the intergalactic slave trade. It was just Dad and I. So, when it was time to meet up, Dad never showed," she started. She sat up a little, rubbing her nose quickly to keep from sniffling. She had the other Saiyans enraptured in her story. "After a day, I radio in about his absence. I get a message back saying that my father had been killed after facing a surprisingly strong warrior of the race. That they'd dispatched one of Frieza's higher-ups to finish the job in his stead. The next morning, in came Dodoria with the last of the race for the trade." She paused as she held the goblet up to her, staring at the red liquid. "It's odd," she added, swirling the liquid a little, "I didn't see any strong warriors among them."_

 _Vegeta closed his eyes as the last of her story hit him. He knew Raditz or Nappa wouldn't pick up on it. But General Jicama had been assassinated by Dodoria per Frieza's order, and Siyaka was clearly figuring the same, but didn't have the proof. "Don't overthink it," Vegeta suggested before holding his goblet up. "For General Jicama." Raditz and Nappa held their's up in return, their gaze falling on the young woman. A small smile came over her face as she held up her goblet. Raditz and Nappa downed their drinks._

 _He watched the younger saiyan down her drink like their companions and set it down, her hand shaking a little and her face steadily going red. She let out a loud hiccup, her eyes flying wide as she muttered a small "Sorry," running a hand through her hair nervously. He got a sudden scent, musky like the sap of a pine tree mixed with honeysuckle petals. It wasn't strong, but just a hint was enough. The scent was … intoxicating. His eyes looked for a source as Raditz shot a fervent look to Nappa and Vegeta before scooting his chair closer to Siyaka. That's when he realized._ Shit.

" _So," the long-haired saiyan breathed huskily, "Siyaka." She gave him an odd look as he gave a short sniff to the air. "Do you always wear perfume?" he asked as he leaned in towards her, his eyes on her and dilated from arousal. Vegeta already had a guess that Raditz and Nappa wouldn't have as strong control to suppress their natural urges, like most saiyans. Vegeta was one of the few saiyans who wasn't a complete beast in the head. His logical and strategic mind could push down any beastial urges, though it would be a fight._

 _Her eyes went wide as she looked at the long-haired saiyan. She almost coughed out a laugh, her hand flying to her hair nervously, a blush creeping to her face. "Excuse me?" The scent got a little stronger as she twisted a lock of her hair between her fingers, innocent yet a little flirty at the same time, and she adjusted her seat awkwardly, as if physically uncomfortable._

 _Vegeta's gaze flew to Nappa, taking in the general's uncomfortable but hungry gaze on the young saiyan. He was certain now that the young woman had gone into heat, and their current close proximity to each other was affecting the men, maybe even Siyaka herself. But if she was aroused as well, her actions didn't betray it. His eyes flew back to Siyaka as Raditz moved to grasp her hand gently, and she moved to open her legs a little. Vegeta shot up from his chair, his hand aimed menacingly at the lower class saiyan. "Back away from her, Raditz."_ I don't need anyone impregnating another on my watch, _he thought, the hold Frieza had on the saiyan race weighing heavily in his mind._

 _Raditz froze his eyes wide as he stared at the threatening prince. "Vegeta! What the Hell?!" Siyaka snapped at the prince. But he could see in her eyes, she wasn't really confused. She was challenging him._

 _Vegeta was resolute in his stance. When Raditz didn't move away from the young noblewoman, Vegeta formed a blast in his hand. "I will not repeat myself, Raditz."_

 _The long-haired saiyan stepped away quickly, like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs, his hands up in surrender. "S-sorry."_

" _V-Vegeta. What the Hell is going on!?" Siyaka snapped, standing from the table. While her words suggested ignorance of her own situation, her hooded eyes and flushed skin betrayed a burning lust she needed quenched. She was feeling the effects of her own heat and was flaunting them for the men. Vegeta realized quickly that he needed to get her away from the others to keep the little remnants of the saiyan race safe. If there was one shift in the status quo Frieza had set, they were doomed._

 _Without a word, Vegeta snatched her wrist and dragged her away from the hall. She fought against his grasp as he wound their way through the halls, not to run away, but to get him to fight, a common form of Saiyan foreplay._ I just need to separate her from my team until it's time to leave _, kept going through his mind as he did his best to resist the effects of her pheromones. It was difficult, holding onto her, knowing the best release he'd get from the pain building in his gut, groin and mind could only be taken care of through her. He was better than his animalistic urges though. He could fight this lust. If he could just seclude her away from his team and get away, then she'd be safe from their non-existent mental resolve to keep their hands off her._

 _She wrenched her wrist out of his grasp, and as Vegeta turned to her, a glare on his face due to her ignorant insolence, she swung a hand around, slapping him across the face, leaving his cheek red. She stepped back a little timid under his enraged gaze, but it was a flirty innocent timid, one Siyaka never actually possessed. Slapping was disrespectful, mostly because of the intimacy in its action. She corrected her timid gaze with her own glare when she realized timidity had no effect on him, and she snapped again at the prince, "What's your problem!?" She was still trying to goad him._

 _Vegeta's gaze turned exasperated as he looked at the young woman. She wanted to fight, to get him to release his animalistic tendencies, to give in to temptation. He growled unintelligibly, his fists clenched at his side. She made a move to return to the hall, and Vegeta moved to block her path. "Don't."_

 _She didn't think when she threw a punch at him. He caught it easily, swinging her around and pinning her against the wall. She gasped a little in joy as he pinned her with his body. He panted against his thoughts as his heart pounded, his chest against her back. He was hard, but at the moment he didn't care. This is what she wanted. His nose was so close to her hair as a shudder went through his body, his mind struggling hard against his nature. She ground a little against him, giving a small moan against him, eliciting a groan from his throat. "I'm t-trying to protect you," he grunted in her ear, her smell filling his senses, driving him insane. He had to hold on to that little light of sanity he still had._

 _Her breathing was shallow as her hips ground against him again. Her face was more curious and flirty as she turned slightly to him. "Protect me from what?" Subconsciously, his hand dropped to her waist, allowing her to spin around to face him. She wasn't scared as she looked at him now. Her tail moved against his body sensually. Her lips were near his as one of her legs began to hike up to Vegeta's hip, the smell of her ready sex filling his sense and driving out the reigning remnants of his willpower. Vegeta wasn't sure what to think as her eyes seemingly hypnotized him. "I don't need protecting," She breathed in his ear, causing a shudder to run down his spine._

" _Y-your …" he tried to speak, before his mind finally gave up on its control. "Fuck it," he growled, slamming his lips onto hers. She opened her mouth and mind to him willingly as his tongue probed her mouth, his knees spreading her legs as he ground into her. He could feel her body was being devoured by a similar hunger, a need of release. Her body ached for it, and her mind wasn't going to fight it. She lifted her leg higher onto his hip, allowing him to grind into her easier._

 _Quickly, he realized he wasn't one to extend foreplay. He picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as she held their mouths together. He found his way to a nearby room as fast as he could, only to be stopped by one of them throwing the other against the wall, discarding their boots and grinding against each other between moans and kisses. After struggling with the doorknob, Siyaka tackled him through it, breaking the door with their fall. He was happy to see it was a noble's quarters as he picked her up and threw her on the down bed. He ripped his gloves off, loving the feel of her skin under his fingertips. She shuddered against his touch, letting out a soft moan as he pulled off her armor with a feverish abandon. She made quick work of his armor as he trailed kisses down her chest, taking deep inhales of her pheromones like an addictive drug. Her tail twisted around his, squeezing it gently, earning a hiss from him as he pressed her naked legs open, his member propped against her wet entrance, causing her to moan._

 _He paused for a moment, his hands in her curly hair and his widow-peaked forehead pressed against hers. He could see in her mind that she'd never mated before, and honestly, neither had he. This was the point of no return. "I – I might not be gentle," he murmured, trying his best to remember the basic etiquette of mating._

 _She pulled him into another kiss, her calves pushing his hips and member's tip a little into her. "I honestly don't care right now," she replied huskily._

 _He slammed his lips against hers as he rammed himself into her. She hissed in a little pain. Through the psychic link he could feel both the pain and ecstasy of him in her, melding with his own slight relief at beginning of sexual release. The pain ebbed quickly, and he began to pound into her, their minds melding into one mind, their bodies, their senses all becoming one. Her nails dug into his back as he moved in her, causing an odd joy with the pain. Every grind he made that added ecstasy to her mounting climax, he felt in his stomach tightening for a release. His hands running over her body magnified their pleasure as he felt his own release begin to spill over. He felt her own pressure about to burst in climax as her muscles contracted around his member. He didn't need to voice it. She knew. With a loud groan, he came in her, riding her into her own climax. She began to let out a loud moan he silenced with a kiss until she twitched against him from the after effects of her orgasm._

 _He eased himself away from her, his eyes on her naked form as she gasped for air, her hands running through her hair. And suddenly he saw her in a new light. He already thought she was pretty, but now he realized she was beautiful inside and out. She was the first and only person he felt could be considered his equal in all aspects. And in that instant, he realized he needed to protect her no matter what._

* * *

 _The next morning, Siyaka awoke sore, but refreshed. She stretched against the silk sheets of the bed, loving the feeling against her skin and fur. She rolled over to see Vegeta was no longer in the bed they had shared the previous night after several rounds of sex, until both she and the prince couldn't stay awake. She wasn't sure what she'd expected from the cold-hearted Saiyan prince, but a small stab of betrayal creeped into her heart seeing he wasn't there. "Right," she muttered to herself, sniffling a little, "Should have expected he'd run off."_

" _Who'd run off?"_

 _Her eyes went wide as she looked to a door off to the side of the room, where Vegeta stood in his full armor. She tried her best to hide the elation in her heart at seeing him still there. She smirked at the nineteen-year-old prince, flirtily asking, "Did you come back for seconds?"_

 _Vegeta smiled a little to himself, a pure joy she never saw in him before as he thought of the night before. The smile fell away to a frown as he stepped forward. He reached into his armor's chest pocket, pulling out a small vial. "I need you to take this as soon as you get in the pod."_

 _He handed the vial to her, which she eyed strangely. "Why? What is it?"_

" _Poison," he answered bluntly. She shot him a dangerous scowl before he added, "You were in heat last night, which meant your smell had a negative effect on me and my men."_

" _So, I should poison myself?" she snapped back, her jaw set._

" _The scent is gone, which means a child was likely conceived. The poison will kill_ it _, not you," he explained, his voice melancholy. Siyaka opened her mouth to protest, but Vegeta silenced her with a simple gesture. "You know Frieza can't be trusted, especially when it comes to the Saiyan race. It's the reason I was trying to separate you from my men last night, which didn't go as planned," he added the last bit as if ashamed with himself. Siyaka opened her mouth to absolve him, tell him it wasn't his fault their natures came out, but again, he waved her off. "Siyaka, I need you to understand that if there is any alteration in our current status quo with him, he could kill us for it. Promise me you'll take it."_

 _The sixteen-year-old saiyan grasped the poison in her hand, giving a small nod. "Yes, Sir," she said in a small voice._

" _V." She looked back up at him curiously. "You can call me V," he reiterated softly. He didn't look at her as he stood up stiffly, adding, "Get dressed. We fly out in thirty minutes." With that, he turned on his heel, and left._

* * *

" _MURDERER!" she called out after the pink blob. She fired a shot after the alien, which he dodged easily by sidestepping it. "You killed him!"_

 _Dodoria smiled, his purple lips thick and sneering. "I don't know what you're talking about, but if you have a death wish, monkey, I'll be happy to oblige." He held up a white ball of ki in his hand as he readied his stance to fight._

" _Sai! Stop!" Vegeta called from the side as he found the fight beginning to start in the gardens near the landing deck. The seventeen-year-old woman floated in the air, her eyes full of hate and betrayal as she stared at Frieza's second in command._

" _He killed him! He killed my father!" Siyaka howled, her fists shaking as she lifted them to fight._

 _Vegeta called out from the side, "You can't win against him! He'll kill you!" The blizzard-like wind howled against them, catching their hair as they stood off against the pink monster._

" _I don't care!" she yelled, charging after Dodoria, who could only smile at her actions. Dodoria let the ki blast fly. Vegeta cursed, phasing between Siyaka and the blast. He blocked it by crossing his arms in front of his face, but it still exploded sending him and Siyaka flying past the evergreens cut into artistic figures and into the icy walls of the gardens. Siyaka hit her head hard against the stone wall, causing her to become incredibly dizzy. She could barely find her feet to stand as the world spun around her._

 _She heard Dodoria phase in front of them. He snatched Vegeta off the ground by the collar, his hand posed to strike, causing the prince to groan and wince in pain. "Say goodnight, Prince."_

" _Dodoria!" a voice called from the other side of the gardens. Dodoria turned to reveal Zarbon, whose crossed arms and stern gaze settled on the pink blob. "Frieza would like a word with you," Zarbon informed coolly, his amber eyes daring Dodoria to go against him. Dodoria made a move to finish his strike when Zarbon raised his voice sharply. "Now, Dodoria!"_

 _The pink blob growled, sending a scowl to the prince and his lover. "You got lucky," he stated, before leaving with Zarbon._

 _Vegeta moved to get up, his hands and feet finding ground in the icy rubble. Siyaka let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, rubbing her head. "Never do that again, got it?" Vegeta growled, steadying himself, his hands on his knees as he propped his body up._

" _He murdered my father, V," Siyaka excused, steadying herself against the wall as she stood up. She needed to get the world to stop spinning, and it slowly was._

" _Frieza's wiped out our whole race! You don't see me committing suicide over it!" Vegeta howled back, throwing his hand out dismissing her reasons._

 _Siyaka frowned, her eyes wide with shock. "He did what?" she asked breathily, a harsh wind diminished by the surrounding walls rolled through the gardens and caught their hair._

 _Vegeta closed his eyes, his shoulders sinking in surrender._ I shouldn't have said that. _"Nothing. Go back to your quarters. I'll clean this up," he ordered defeatedly. Frieza was not going to take this accusation lightly. He was going to take the attack on his second man worse. He sighed, knowing he'd have to pay for Siyaka's insolence against the tyrant. Vegeta moved to leave the gardens, ignoring Siyaka's calls for him._

* * *

 _As Siyaka sat in her chambers, sipping on her water and trying to ease her aching head from the scuffle in the gardens. Vegeta's slip about how Frieza destroyed their race rang through her head as she rubbed her scalp free of pain. It had been nearly three days since the incident in the gardens, and she hadn't heard or seen Vegeta anywhere. She'd barely left her room in those three days from fear, but Vegeta's quarters were close to hers. She'd have heard him going to his room at some point. Raditz would bring her some food from the mess hall, but he never had any news about Vegeta. Just that no one had seen him. Worry began to grow in her heart about Vegeta. She heard a beeping coming from her scouter, telling her she had an incoming message. She opened it up, attaching it to her ear as she said, "Siyaka."_

" _Lord Frieza would like a word with you," Appule stated over the line, "immediately."_

 _Siyaka's heart sank as she realized that Vegeta might not have been able to fix the situation she put them in. She'd acted rashly when she'd heard that Dodoria had been the one to kill her father, Jicama, not some random warrior. In all honesty, she'd had a vague idea that maybe Dodoria had killed him, but it was a thought she didn't like to entertain. "Thank you, sir. I'm on my way." She quickly downed her water, slamming the cup down on her desk before making her way out to Frieza's office. The door buzzed open revealing Frieza, his eyes focused listlessly out the window at the midnight black sky. Dodoria stood off to the side, a smirk on his face, while Zarbon stood next to the side door of Frieza's office, a door that led to the punishing room. She'd never seen it, but she'd heard stories. Siyaka knelt down, bowing her head to the tyrant. "You called for me, Lord Frieza?"_

" _Yes," Frieza hummed, not bothering to turn to the young saiyan. "It seems we have a disagreement with one of my higher ranking officers."_

 _Siyaka's gaze shifted to Dodoria in the corner, doing her best to keep her breathing and emotions under control so as to not give away her nervousness. Before she could speak up to defend herself, Frieza motioned to Zarbon who opened the door where Vegeta was being held by Rasberry and Cui. Vegeta's body was beaten and broken, his face bruised and cut beyond recognition. It was clear he'd been whipped and blasted. His armor hung off him in tatters, exposing his gashed and bruised chest, his body shaking from pain and deprivation. They let go of the prince, letting him drop unceremoniously to the white ground with a thud. Siyaka's breath caught in her throat as she suppressed the urge to go to him as he let out a pain-filled groan._

" _Vegeta stepped up for you, claiming responsibility for your actions," Frieza stated coldly, turning towards her. "While it was a noble act, I'm not sure him taking your punishment gives you the necessary perspective of your rank under me and my men." Siyaka shook, her eyes wide with fear as she caught the tyrant's gaze._ What is he going to do? _Frieza continued, ignoring her slip up in manners as she stared at him, "But I'm a merciful lord, and I'm willing to overlook this error in judgement due to your ignorance of the situation, and explain. I ordered Dodoria to assassinate your father after a failed plot to take my life," Frieza explained coolly, leaving Siyaka's heart pounding so hard it ached, her eyes wide with fear and the realization of what the tyrant was implicating. "Your actions are no doubt an impassioned reaction to the truth, and clearly don't mean your loyalty to my cause has wavered, like your father's did." Frieza stepped closer to her as he added, "You and Vegeta are only still here because I have plans for you both. But let me be clear, one more toe out of line from either of you, and I will happily forget those plans and_ dispose _of you both. Are we understood?"_

 _Siyaka eyes were wide and tearful as she looked at her prince, weak and groaning on the floor in pain. She nodded blankly, unable to speak around the lump in her throat._

" _Good," Frieza said with a smile. "You can help the prince back to his chambers." As Frieza walked away back to the window, Siyaka dove to Vegeta, checking him quickly and picking him up. "Oh, and Siyaka, don't take Vegeta to the infirmary. If I find out you did …" Frieza let out a small sadistic chuckle as he finished, "well, I don't think I could have been clearer."_

 _Siyaka tried her best to control her pounding heart under Frieza's intense and murderous gaze._ Take Vegeta to the infirmary, and we're both dead. _"Got it, Sir," she replied, leaving the tyrant's company with Vegeta groaning in her arms._

 _She sped down the corridors at breakneck speeds until she reached Vegeta's door. She rushed to get him into his bed gently. He let out another pain filled groan as Siyaka did her best to remove his armor. "Sorry," she muttered as she finally got his armor off him enough to reveal his ruined torso. She rushed to his washroom, grabbing a cloth and wetting it under the tap. She wiped down his face, removing the dried blood, leaving bruised cheeks and a black ringed eye. His right eyebrow and lip was cut. As soon as his face was clean, albeit bruised, she went to his back, which was chewed up. "Oh, God, Vegeta," she rasped as she looked at the bloody mess that was his back. "Why would you do this? What would possess you to take my punishment." He grunted, a grimace on his face. "Seriously, what were you thinking?!"_

 _He let out a painful laugh. "You don't know?"_

 _She looked confused as he turned to look at her, pain in his eyes. Not physical, but like a small heartache reflecting in his onyx eyes. Her hand on his shoulder, she could feel his heart beating fast as their eyes caught each other. He didn't say it. He didn't even think it. But she suddenly felt it deep down in her gut, something her heart had only hoped for, but she didn't think it was actually possible. "Y-you love me?" she breathed._

 _His lingering gaze was an almost confirmation before he looked away with a scoff. "Don't be absurd."_

" _You love me," she more stated this time, her eyes wide at the realization. His voice may be denying it, but his eyes told her it was true. Without thinking, her hand reached for his own, grasping it tight. He watched her carefully as her gaze focused on his bruised face. Her heart pounded as their minds barely connected. She sensed his nervousness, and he sensed hers. "I-I love you too." His eyes went wide at her words, his heart beginning to hammer against his chest. It wasn't an expression she had ever seen in the prince. If she hadn't known him, she'd have thought it was fear. But she did know him, and his mind wasn't full of fear. It was hope. For the first time in his life he had begun to hope for something he couldn't just take. "I … I don't know when or how. Maybe it was always like that, and I just didn't know. But I do. I love you too." She gave his hand a squeeze, her other hand finding its way to the base of his skull, her fingers weaving into his hair, causing a shiver to roll down his back. She completely opened the connection between them, and her heart began to lift at the affirmation of his love for her flowing through her mind. She leaned over him, her lips barely brushing against his, feeling his light breath puff against her lips. Her eyes closed as she pushed her lips against his, taking in his scent, his mind, his heart. This was the first kiss they shared that wasn't clouded by lust, heat, or passion. It was a simple, pure need. A need to be one, to understand each other as one. He opened his mouth, licking her lips for entrance which she granted, and in that instance he opened up his memories completely for the first time._

 _He'd known for a while not to develop any attachments, and he'd tried his best not to form any after the death of his father. Frieza had killed the king even though promising the prince he wouldn't, removed any friends Vegeta might have made in his youth other than his trainer, Nappa, and his teammate, Raditz. In his gut, he knew Frieza would steal away anything Vegeta had grown fond of in hopes of holding his loyalties. Yet inspite of his plans and efforts, sometime after she'd joined his team, he'd realized in his heart that falling for her would be inevitable. His only chance at saving her from Frieza's target would be to push her away and act as if he didn't care for her. But every time he did, she saw through his façade somehow. And now she understood why she could never figure out how deeply his feelings ran for her, but now she did. His feelings for her were rooted in the very core of his being, as hers were for him._

Frieza can never find out about us, or we're doomed, _one of them thought, neither was sure which._

* * *

"WHY SIYAKA!?" Vegeta howled at her shame filled silence.

She jumped at his shout. She knew she deserved it. She'd abandoned him to an evil tyrant, and didn't give him a reason. "To save us. The status quo."

He scowled. "What are you talking about?" he growled, his fist clenched at his side.

She took a deep breath as she tried to think of the best way to say this. She looked to Mia for a second, standing awkwardly behind her ignorant father. "I grew immune to the poison," Siyaka finally started, one of her hands ringing the other.

His eyes narrowed, confused. "Poison?" he asked, his eyes begging for clarification. "What are you talki- … ?" He stopped as a piece of information seemed to click in his brain. He eyed Siyaka carefully before, his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. "No," he breathed, his head whipping around to see Mia. The young princess's eyes held fear as Vegeta regarded her more carefully, his eyes more scrutinizing. He breathed a little darker, "No."

"Because I'd grown immune to the poison, that night on planet Liamafi," Siyaka continued, painstakingly, "I got pregnant." Vegeta didn't look at her as she gave him that news. His hard gaze was trained on his daughter taking her in, suddenly seeing the undeniable facts of her genes. Mia's wild saiyan hair, her high regal cheekbones, her proud chin, her fiery courageous stare returning the cold glare the Prince sent her. There was no denying where Vegeta's earlier discomfort of her gaze came from. The girl looked just like his mother, the queen. His wide eyes and pounding heart told him he knew it was true before Siyaka confirmed it. "Vegeta, Mia's you're daughter."

* * *

 _Siyaka relaxed with Raditz after a much needed time off. Right after their mission on Liamafi three weeks ago, Vegeta and Nappa had been sent off for another mission, per Frieza's orders. She and Raditz were ordered to come back, and she honestly wasn't complaining. The past few days, she had felt completely drained. Raditz and she had stepped out to get some food from the mess hall. He couldn't cook to save his life, and Siyaka hadn't found the time to get groceries for her quarters. She sat at their usual table, waiting for him to return with a feast._

" _I come bearing peas and mystery meat!" Raditz announced with a joking flare as he placed the several plates of food in front of them._

" _Mmmmm. My favorite," Siyaka smiled back, reaching for her first round of meat. It wasn't really mystery meat. Mostly ground up Jotun bovine, and she did love bovine. She took her first couple bites and swallows with gusto until the first chunk hit her stomach, leaving a stronger than normal aftertaste of iron and spice. She paused, setting her food back on her plate, earning an odd stare from Raditz._

" _You ok, Sai?" Raditz asked, lowering his own meal, second plate in oddly. He did eat insanely fast._

 _She nodded awkwardly, waving him off. "Yeah, I'm just not hungry, like I thought." She paused, putting a smile on her face to mask her unsettled stomach. "Why don't we go to the garden and spar!?" the twenty-one year-old saiyan lady offered excitedly._

 _The long haired saiyan eyed her skeptically before giving a small nod. "Yeah, why not." They got up from the table, abandoning their food, something Siyaka would have never done, and Raditz knew that. It didn't take them long to reach the gardens, the wind was lighter than usual. They took their stances across from each other. As soon as Raditz saw an opening in Siyaka's defense, he charged in exploiting it. Siyaka moved to flip away from him, giving his chin a kick on the way. Once she was a decent distance away from him, she stopped to power up. When she fought with Raditz, she always opted for long distance. It was her weakest form of fighting. As she reached into the well where her ki usually rest, she stopped, feeling it was empty. What was going on. He was coming at her now, and she tried to shoot a small blast at him to veer him away, but all that happened was a sad puff of smoke in her open hand. Her attempt seemed to attack her own body instead, causing her to double over in pain. She let out a grunt as the taste of her small lunch resurfaced. Raditz stopped, watching her as her back arched up as she let out a loud cough before emptying the little contents of her stomach with excess bile. She threw-up once more before moving herself away from the undigested bovine chunks. She grunted as she pushed herself to sit on her ass, her knees raised to hold her head up._

 _Raditz pulled out his scouter and pressed the button to check her power level. As he feared, her power level was wavering around ten to twenty, dangerously low for anyone under Frieza's employ. He quickly turned it off, pocketing the device. "Sai, come with me," he urged, moving to help her up. She groaned tiredly, but she let him pick her up._

" _I must have gotten a bug or something on Liamafi," she muttered tiredly as Raditz helped her back to the barracks, where their suites were. She frowned in confusion. "Aren't you taking me to the med bay?"_

" _Not for this," Raditz stated, as he got to his suite door._

 _Siyaka laughed painfully, "For what?" Raditz only gave her a silencing hiss in response as he opened the door._

 _He set her down gently. "Make sure your scouter is turned off," he growled at her quietly,_

 _She shot him a bored scowl. "It's getting repaired, remember? I'm supposed to get it tomorrow after my post mission check-up." Raditz let out a sigh, earning a confused look from the saiyan lady. "What's this about?"_

" _Sai," he breathed seriously, "I'm not even going to act ignorant anymore of what you and Vegeta do when we're off planet." Siyaka's eyes went wide._ How could they know!? _Raditz laughed at her shocked face. "Give us some credit. We were on most of those missions with you. We're not idiots … well, jury's out on Nappa," he added, with a small smile. He continued on seriously, "But that's not the point. For expedience sake, I'm just going to ask you." He paused, letting herself brace for the question, "How have you been thwarting pregnancy in the past?"_

 _Siyaka was taken aback by the question, but still answered, "Poison. Vegeta's been giving me poison aftwerwards."_

 _Raditz nodded solemnly into his steepled fingers, stating to himself, "And he wouldn't think to change it, so you grew immune to it."_

" _What?" she snapped dangerously._

 _He shot her a disbelieving look. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed."_

" _Noticed what?"_

" _That you're overly tired, throwing up, not eating, and your ki is out of whack," Raditz replied bluntly, listing off each item with a tick of his finger. "Not to mention you smell different."_

 _She scowled at the lower class warrior. "Are you suggesting I'm pregnant?"_

" _I seriously think you might be," Raditz stated, his arms crossed. He huffed as she turned away from him, annoyed. "Siyaka, you're my best friend. If there is even a remote possibility I'm right, you need to know before Frieza figures it out."_

" _How do you suggest I do that? Go down to the sick bay and say, 'Hey, can you give me a pregnancy test? Vegeta and I have been mating it up on the side,'" she replied snippishly._

 _Raditz rolled his eyes at her melodramatics. "No, but you could steal one."_

 _She nodded, fiddling with her right earring as she thought. She hadn't had earrings long. Vegeta had given her her first pair a little over two years before, on their first mission just after they had confessed their love for each other. They didn't dangle like Zarbon's. They were just small silver buds. "Ok, but what about the blood and urine test?"_

 _Raditz chewed on the side of his thumbnail as he thought. "M-maybe I can help you with that," he said in a low voice, not looking at her._

* * *

 _The next day, Siyaka sat in the doctor's office nervously. Raditz had snuck over to her room early that morning with the most disgusting gift she had ever received: vials of his own blood and urine. Had she not needed it desperately to fool Frieza's medics, she probably would have forced him to dispose of them. She currently had them hiding in sealed bags under her armor's breast cups. And she'd noticed last night that her breasts had grown tender. After her conversation with Raditz the night before, she had begun noticing more and more symptoms that only she would notice, and the dread filling her with the thought of being a mother under Frieza's rule became a very real possibility._

 _As the doctor finished drawing her blood, one of the final tests before the urine sample, Siyaka began to realize that Vegeta and her mating had probably been expected by Frieza. Why else would he force her, and only her, into a post mission check-up after every mission. Maybe it was something he wanted. Maybe he just wanted a reason to kill them both, and this was his way of making sure. A part of her was now certain he expected Vegeta to impregnate her at some point, but she wasn't sure why. And she wasn't sure she wanted to find out either._

 _The doctor removed the needle, giving her a bandage to stop the bleeding. He capped the blood vial and set it in the rack on the side for the nurse to get later. She nervously looked at her armor folded in the corner, where Raditz replacement samples were. She looked back as the doctor addressed her with a small cough. "I'll step out so you can get dressed now," he stated, his hand opening the door._

" _Yes, thank you, Doctor," Siyaka said in a small voice, giving him a smile. As soon as the door sealed shut, she leaped forward, knowing she only had a couple minutes to switch the vials, get dressed, and find that pregnancy test. She snatched Raditz's blood vial, pealing the sticker off of hers and placing onto Raditz's. She took her blood vial back, putting it in the sealed bag back under her breast. She quickly pulled her clothes back on, knowing she only had moments until the doctor came back. She opened on cupboard, then another, and another, finding nothing but empty vials. She hissed as she began rummaging through the drawers. Still nothing. "Fuck," she groused to herself._

 _The door beeped, announcing its opening, and she rushed to shut everything and act normal. Her right forefinger and thumb found themselves twisting the silver bud in her earlobe nervously. "Are you ready to submit your urine sample?" She gave a small nod, knowing that even if she wasn't, it wouldn't matter. He was going to lead her to the bathroom attached to the testing lab anyway. She followed the doctor down the hall, past the testing lab when she got an idea. If there were ever a place for a pregnancy test, why not the testing lab. She made a mental note to sneak back there before she was done._

 _They rounded the corner, and the doctor pointed to the restroom door. "You know the drill." Siyaka rolled her eyes to not tip the doctor off to her nerves. She went into the room, locking it and turning on the fan to not be overheard. She grabbed a cup from the cupboard and set it on the back of the toilet. She pulled out the cup of urine and carefully poured it into the cup. She steadied her shaking hand as she stepped away from the cup, reaching up to remove an earring and pocketing it. She needed a rouse. She took a steadying breath before she grabbed the half-filled cup of yellow liquid and placing it into the transfer cabinet. She flushed the toilet for effect and washed her hands._

 _She stepped out of the restroom, and as she expected, the doctor stood there. She fiddled with her ear as she said, "I'm sorry sir. I think I dropped my earring in the office."_

 _The doctor frowned, but gestured for her to go. "The door should be open."_

 _Siyaka nodded and made her way back to the room. She paused against the doorway of the lab. Only one doctor was in there running test. She steadied her breathing as she stepped in, her steps as silent as possible. She had never done recon before, but sneaking to Vegeta's room every once in a while had given her some practice. The doctor never noticed her behind him as she hit him hard at the base of his skull, causing him to pass out. She grabbed his shoulder, gently placing his arm under him to make it look like he'd simply fallen asleep at work. She didn't have a lot of time before the other doctor came to check on her progress. She moved over all the shelves and cabinets until she found what she was looking for. She smiled nervously snatched the test off the shelf and hid it in her armor. She made it out of the lab, her earring in hand as she fixed it into her ear. She passed the other doctor on her way out with a smile, fiddling with her ear and brandishing her earring. "Found it!" The doctor nodded boredly, gesturing to the exit door. She quickly made her way through it, finding Raditz on the other end, arms crossed and leaning against the opposite wall._

" _Did you get it?" Siyaka nodded quickly, walking past him towards their barracks at a quick pace. Raditz followed her closely behind, even stopping with her to get her scouter and into her suite. She moved to her bathroom, pulling the test out of her armor. "Are you taking the test now?"_

 _She nodded, chewing the inside of her lower lip. "I-I need to know." He nodded, letting out a small sigh as he sat on her bed. She turned away from him, closing the door and looking at the test. She let out a shuddering breath, fear taking over her heart a little._ I need to know, _she reasoned quickly, pushing down her nerves and opening the test._

 _She set the test aside after taking it. Her fingers steepled as she waited. Her heart pounded with worry. Thirty seconds was too long. The anticipation was killing her. A death sentence waited for her on the simple answer of a stick. All she could do was pray. Pray that a negative symbol popped up. It had been almost a month since she and Vegeta had done anything, but it would still only give her a couple weeks before any changes would be visible. If there were any changes to be visible._ If _. She really hoped on that "if."_

 _The timer on her scouter went off, and she rushed forward, her breath caught in her throat. Her heart dropped with horror seeing that dreaded positive symbol laughing back up at her. Her hand went to her stomach and cursed what grew inside. She stepped out of the bathroom, feeling a lump developing in her throat so painful, her eyes began to sting with tears._

 _Raditz stood at her broken visage. "Is it … ?"_

" _Positive," she said, her breath hitching and causing her voice to break. Her hand covered her mouth as her mind rushed with the knowledge of her and Vegeta's damnation, her tears rolled down her cheeks. They were dead. There was no way around it. She let out a sob as she fell to her knees, dread and hopelessness filling her heart. Her breathing became ragged as her chest racked with sobs._

 _She didn't notice Raditz had knelt down next to her, his hand rubbing her back as she sobbed. "It's ok."_

 _She shook her head. Ok was everything it wasn't. "No it's not," she sobbed. "We're dead."_

" _No, you're not. We'll figure something out," Raditz reasoned. "Trust me."_

 _She glared at him, not enjoying his hopeful demeanor. "There is nothing to figure out. I'm dead. Vegeta's dead. Our baby is…" She couldn't finish the sentence, sobbing into her hands._

 _There was a rustling as Raditz's hand left her back. She sniffled, rubbing the tears from her eyes as Raditz held something to her. "Here." She held her hand out as he slipped a photo into her fingers. She sniffled as she looked at it. There were two saiyan toddlers, a young boy and a girl, in the photo. The boy looked like Kakarot and Bardock. His hair was the wild spiky sort General Bardock had become famous for. His skin tone was darker than Kakarot's was, but his face held the same cheerful expression Raditz's younger brother wore so often as a baby. The other child was frowning into the photo. Her hair was clearly just being barely tamed by the ponytail it had been tied back into. It was long, like Raditz. But while the boy's bone structure had looked so familiar, the girl was less so, but still pretty._

 _Siyaka swallowed around the lump in her throat. "Who are they?"_

" _That is Kohl," Raditz answered, pointing to the young boy, then to the little girl, "and that is Rabi." A wistful smile came over his face as he looked at the photo. "Aren't they precious?"_

 _Siyaka frowned. "Of course, but who are they?"_

 _He gave her a weird look and a small laugh. "They're my kids. I drop in after missions when Freiza isn't looking." Siyaka eyed Raditz, her eyes begging desperately for him to continue. "When Vegeta blew-up, there was a rebellion," Raditz began explaining. "King Vegeta staged it so the rebellion would cover up our race's refugees, who escaped to a distant planet, and have been thriving somewhat. Our numbers aren't what they used to be, but they're growing."_

 _Siyaka's eyes were wide with disbelief. "How? You're a father?"_

 _Raditz laughed again, taking the photo back and tucking it into his armor plate. "Yeah. I know. Unbelievable, right? But Rapunzel is a great mother even though I'm rarely around, and they're happy."_

" _Rapunzel?" Siyaka asked. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember why._

" _Yeah, Nappa's daughter. She used to be in the Saiyan court," Raditz explained._

 _Siyaka couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips. "Y-you're Nappa's son-in-law?"_

 _Raditz nodded, his shaggy black hair falling in his face a little. "Sure. Laugh it up. But that's not why I'm telling you about this."_

" _Well, you're going to sneak me off planet to the saiyan sanctuary, right?" Siyaka filled in, hopefully._

 _Raditz shook his head. "No. You being the only Saiyan female Frieza knows about, you're watched way too carefully. And there is no way I can sneak you there without bringing it to Frieza's attention. But there is another saiyan who was off planet when Vegeta exploded." Siyaka's brow furrowed as she tried to think how that was possible. "My father had his suspicions about Freiza's intentions, and stole a pod to send my brother Kakarot off planet to a place called Earth."_

" _Wouldn't your brother go under Frieza's scrutiny then?"_

" _Not if your pod were to malfunction on approach to the planet," Raditz offered, an eyebrow raised playfully._

 _Siyaka frowned. "I'm not following you."_

" _We fake your death," Raditz surmised. "Frieza will then second guess sending another fighter back down there, thinking Kakarot is probably dead as well due to ship malfunction. All we need to do is find the record of the stolen ship my brother was sent in."_

 _Siyaka frowned. "That sounds an awful like a needle in a haystack."_

" _But it's not, since I already know the ship's ID number," Raditz stated with a smile._

* * *

 _A few days later, Vegeta had finally returned from his last mission. His first thought was to find Siyaka and check on her. Without bothering to visit his quarters to freshen up after his trip, he asked around for her, everyone directing her to the basement of Frieza's fortress, where all the records of his employees, past and present, stayed. Almost no one ever visited the records, so it was ideal for their reunion. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his chest against her back. She bristled a little against him as he leaned forward, whispering in her ear, "Miss me?" As soon as she heard his voice, she relaxed a little, closing the file in her hands. He put his nose into the crook of her neck, kissing her skin lightly._

 _He opened his mental link to her, only to find she'd blocked him out. Something she'd never done before. He pulled away from her, his fingers tightening around her waist, pulling her to face him. She didn't look him in the eyes, which also caught the prince as strange. "What is it, Sai? What's wrong?"_

 _She maneuvered out of his hands and back to the table setting the file down with several others open. "Nothing's wrong," she said quietly, knowing he wouldn't buy it. She knew however that to make things easier, for her and for him, she had to push him away. Even though he didn't know she was leaving, she couldn't tell him, because he'd definitely start acting differently, which could tip off Frieza to her plans. It pained her to know that she was leaving him indefinitely, but it was the only way to keep them all alive and not incur Frieza's wrath. And if he kept loving her, and asking her, she'd eventually let everything go and tell him, which would further damn them both. So the only solution was to push him away, and act like she didn't love him until she left. It was going to be difficult, because even though her mind knew that it was the only way, her heart still hoped for the impossible, a new way out of this without sacrificing her love for him._

 _Vegeta shook his head. "That's bullshit. What's going on?" She set her jaw, ignoring his request as she organized the files she'd present to Frieza about Kakarot. She could feel Vegeta's onyx glare on her, burning through her skull. "Siyaka!" he snapped, his voice hinted with a growl._

" _Stop!" Siyaka yelled back, spinning to look at him, letting her pain and anger surge through her to him. Her eyes stung with tears she was trying her best to hold back. "I can't tell you! So, just stop!"_

 _Silence hung in the air between them as Vegeta stared back at her, his worry and hurt evident in his gaze. After a minute of nothing said between them, Siyaka turned back to her files. She'd found what she needed. Now she needed to bring it to Raditz. She began piling the files together. "What can't you tell me? Why?" Vegeta breathed._

 _Her heart broke as she realized the only thing that would push him away. "I can't tell you because Frieza watches you too closely," she answered, feeling better that she could at least give him that. But the next part was killing her already. "And because of that, it's over."_

 _Vegeta scowled at her, his arms crossed in his usual protective stance. "Over?"_

" _Us," she said, holding the files to her. She took a deep calming breath as she said with finality, "Whatever we had is over."_ Love. They had love. True love. _She knew it. He knew it. But she had to crush it for both their sakes. Before her eyes, she could see the prince's face fade from pained to stony. Like any ray of goodness in Vegeta that Siyaka had uncovered, any pop of light was immediately snuffed out. He was too proud to show true pain to anyone, but Siyaka knew as soon as he adopted the stone cold demeanor that he was in more pain than he'd ever been in before, and it was her fault. She ignored her aching heart as she said, "Goodbye, Vegeta." She turned, leaving him in the records room to his thoughts and pain._

* * *

Vegeta was silent as he stared at his teenage daughter, his mind blanking on what to say. It was a lot of information to take in. Siyaka left on purpose because he had gotten her pregnant. She was right. It was the only way to make sure Frieza didn't kill them. It explained a lot. Her cold demeanor the week and a half before she left, suddenly ending things with him. Her obsession with Kakarot's records. Volunteering for his return mission as solo. Now that he thought about it, it was obvious. There were so many signs that he just ignored. Her smell had altered, but he explained it away back then. She didn't eat much during meal times. How had he been so oblivious?

"Raditz helped me trick the tests and escape once I'd confirmed it," Siyaka continued. "We'd have been found out without his help." She stopped, seeing his shaking stance. "Vegeta, say something."

Vegeta didn't know what to think. She'd been here eighteen years. She'd have known he was there. Especially during the Cell Games, where she'd have seen him on a live broadcast. "You knew, and didn't think it was worth telling me," he growled, his fists balled and shaking at his side.

"Vegeta, I couldn't tell you. Not under Frieza …" Siyaka started.

"What about after!?" Vegeta howled, interrupting her, spinning and directing his rage to her. Usually he was more composed than this, even his wife hadn't seen him this furious. But this was Siyaka. The one woman he'd shared everything with. The one woman who knew him and his past more intimately than he did himself. And she'd left him to Frieza without any inkling of what had changed. "You knew I was here for years! And you didn't give me as much as a phone call!"

"I-I tried!" Siyaka spoke up in her defense, but Vegeta wasn't listening.

He was angry for being taken for a fool by his old teammates. His glare shifted to Gohan. Even the hybrid had fooled him. "And what about you, boy!? How long have you known?!" he asked, directing his glare on his rival's eldest son.

Gohan looked down away from the angered prince as he mumbled, "A couple months."

Vegeta barked out a laugh. This was rich. "A couple months, and even you didn't think to say anything."

Mia stepped in between her father and her boyfriend, her glare reminding Vegeta so much of his mother when she had scolded him as a child. It was certainly unnerving. Her arms were splayed out as she spat back, "Don't blame Gohan. I forced him to introduce me to you. And not saying anything wasn't his call, it was your wife's!"

"Mia," Gohan hissed, knowing she'd taken a step too far.

"No, Gohan," she snapped back coldly. "He wants to know the truth, so he'll know the whole truth." She turned to glare back at her father, venom in her voice over his reaction. Maybe his anger was warranted, but she could tell it was hurting her mother deeply. And _no one_ hurt her mother. "I was against not telling you, but Bulma insisted for your sake."

Vegeta was taken aback by this news. _Bulma knew as well? No doubt Gohan told her. But why didn't she talk to me? She is my wife, and she played me for a fool as well?!_ His anger welled again, his fists shaking at his sides as the pieces fell into place. _A couple months. Is that why she was pushing for another child all of the sudden?! Did she think I was enough of an idiot that I wouldn't figure that out?!_

Mia continued on, "And Mom did try to tell you at least once. When I was five, and we came home and saw an alien attack had happened on the news. As soon as Mom saw you in Oozaru form, we flew over to you. But by the time we got there, you were gone. Mom told me a couple years after, that she was sure you had died, judging by all the blood we saw on the battlefield."

Vegeta thought back. That was during his battle with Kakarot, when he'd escaped with barely his life. But that still left the seven years since Cell that they knew he wasn't dead, which was still plenty of time to contact him at least once.

"There was one other time," Siyaka added with a small sniffle, causing Mia to freeze. She hadn't known about the second one. "I called Capsule Corporation a day or two after the Cell Games. One of the fighters on your team was wearing their logo." He remembered back. Bulma had fixed the redheaded android 16, and replaced all his Red Ribbon logos with Capsule Corp. "When I was patched through to your private line, your wife answered. And I could hear your other child over the phone." That was when Siyaka realized all these years, not introducing Mia to Vegeta wasn't to protect her daughter. And deep down, a part of her had known this all along. It was to protect herself from facing the pain she had put all of them through. To protect herself from the pain of never being with the man she'd always love. To protect herself from the regret of all the time they lost. A small, self-hating smile came on her face as she realized part of it was also to protect Vegeta from those feelings. Mia would have always been fine. It was Vegeta and herself that were hurt most by her actions. She finished in a small voice, "You'd moved on already. And I didn't want to ruin that for you."

Vegeta's glare at his former love was dead and emotionless. He huffed as he turned his back away from the group. "That excuse isn't good enough," he stated gruffly, before powering up quickly and flying off. When he'd gone there in search of answers, he hadn't expected that. His life as he knew it, all past eighteen years had been a lie. He'd been duped by everyone he knew, including his own wife. He wasn't sure which truth hurt worse: that Siyaka hadn't really been dead for eighteen years, or that his wife knew and didn't want him to know for her own selfish reasons. He needed time to himself, to gather his thoughts. He wasn't sure he could face anyone right now without questioning everything he'd thought he'd known.

* * *

A couple minutes passed, as Mia tried to calm down her mother. It was odd, seeing Siyaka like that. Usually the roles were reversed, and it was her mother trying to calm Mia down. _Maybe I just never noticed how strong Mom acted,_ she thought, chewing on the inside of her lip. Gohan had helped get them both inside, dropping a glass of ice water in front of the saiyan lady. He had to admit, with women crying, he was at a loss.

The sound of an airplane landed outside brought their attention away from the somber moment. Bulma came sprinting through the door. When she saw Gohan standing there with a glass of ice water in his hands, a refill from earlier, Bulma snapped. "Don't you answer your phone!? I tried calling you twenty times! Trunks let it slip about Siyaka and Mia, and Vegeta's …" She looked around, seeing Mia comforting the woman from the picture Bulma had downloaded months ago. Seeing Siyaka's disheveled hair, red nose, and streaked mascara, Bulma's heart fell. "He's already been here," she filled in.

Gohan nodded, giving Bulma her answer. The blue-haired heiress huffed at her timing. Of course she'd just missed it. She just missed everything. Seeing Frieza _twice_ , the androids, and now preventing her husband from a mental breakdown. She grabbed the ice water out of Gohan's hands and took a swig. She pursed her lips as she swallowed. Water did not cut it. She shot the hybrid a sideways glance holding up the empty glass as she huffed, "We're going to need something a little bit stronger."

Gohan nodded again at her suggestion, and moved to grab some of his mother's liquor, which she mostly had for parties. He handed the bottle of whiskey, Bulma's favorite, to the blue-haired woman. "Thanks," she muttered, grabbing a couple low-ball glasses from the cupboard and filling them with a few ice cubes. She sat down, pouring the two glasses half full. "Sai," she called, aiming to slide the glass over to the saiyan woman. Siyaka looked up at the blue-haired woman with a scowl. She didn't let just anyone call her that. "I'm guessing that's your name," Bulma stated, her eyes not wavering from the broken saiyan woman. "Vegeta never told me about you, but he did say your name in his sleep a couple times." Siyaka looked down at the wood table, now feeling shittier with that news. Even with her pretending to be dead and staying away, her actions had still caused him pain. She saw a glass being pushed gently into her view, looking up to see the blue-haired woman giving her a pitying smile. "Drink. You'll feel … well, you'll feel less."

Siyaka picked the glass up, knocking it back and downing its contents in one gulp before passing the glass back to the blue-haired woman. "So, am I right in assuming you're … ?" Siyaka started, trailing off.

"Vegeta's wife, Bulma," the scientist answered, pouring another glass of whiskey. She passed the glass back to the saiyan woman. Eying the woman a bit strangely, Siyaka tried to figure out why Bulma was being so nice to her. Could it be Bulma didn't see her as a threat? Was it pity? Or was she just a generally nice person?

Siyaka frowned as she realized she didn't care, taking the glass from the woman, fingering the rim as she eyed its amber contents. "I fucked things up royally," Siyaka muttered to herself.

"You weren't the only one," Bulma stated, also looking at her glass.

Siyaka smirked, a small chuckle escaping her lips for the first time that night. She couldn't hate Bulma, she realized. She held up the glass and said, "To fucking things up."

Bulma glanced over her before nodding, lifting her glass. "To fucking things up."

* * *

 **AN:** Looks like _one_ cat is out of the bag … mostly. There are still a few characters in the dark about Mia and Siyaka (Krillin).

Also, I know. A lot of you are thinking, "Rapunzel, really?" And the answer is yes! I found out Rapunzel means "lettuce," and I thought, "Vegetable pun name, and blond glowing hair?! She's a saiyan!" Not really, but it was too good to pass up. And her being Nappa's daughter, well Nappa is a type of lettuce, so keep the puns in the family. Kohl and Rabi come from the vegetable Kohlrabi, which is eaten as both a lettuce and a root veggie! MORE PUNS!

And I planned on Kohl for a while, a loooong long while, until I reread the synopsis for the original Rapunzel story and found out Mother Gothel threw her out of the tower because she had gotten pregnant via the prince with twins, a boy and a girl (I shit you not). It was too good to pass up. So I added Rabi to finish the fairytale tie in.

Back to Saiyan names, the queen is Celeria, because I've heard it used multiple times, and I thought it was really clever. Sorreli is off of Sorrel, and Taro is named after the vegetable/herb Taro. No, he is not supposed to be Toma, and I just screwed up the spelling. He is a totally different character.

Yes, I did mean to say "schnups." I didn't think planet Vegeta would have straight dogs or cats, so I will explain what schnups look like later when one actually comes up, but they are saiyan house pets.

Also, I don't know how many of you expected me to write Bulma jealous, or that she and Siyaka would have this animosity between them (you know, baby-mama drama). From what I know of Bulma and what I know about Siyaka creating her with my sis, I don't see it happening at all. Mostly because they are mature and look at it as a shit situation, but not really blame each other for it. Bulma didn't know about Siyaka, and Siyaka was forced into the situation thanks to Frieza. They both know this. Bulma respects that Siyaka has tried to distance her and Mia because of her and Vegeta's relationship, and Siyaka doesn't want to hurt Vegeta. If you've listened to Demi Lovato's "Stone Cold," that's kind of how Siyaka feels about the situation. Not saying there won't be conflict, because there totally will! It's just between them, there's less animosity and more understanding.

Please! Remember to Review, like, follow, whatever!


	11. Chapter 10

**AN:** Hi all. I know. It's been too long. I've had a lot going on in my life the past 5 months (found out I'm going to be a mom not long after the last chapter was posted. SO EXCITED!) not to mention this chapter was like pulling teeth to get out. It just wasn't happening. Plus side, it's just as long, if not longer than the last chapter. Downside, most of it is setting up the tournament and problems that are going to continue into Buu. And a lot of it is big group interactions, which I don't know one writer who likes doing those. So annoying.

Anyway, I hope you still enjoy the chapter. The next one should get into more exciting stuff in the tournament, so hopefully it'll come out faster.

That being said, check out my book on Amazon, Midnight Over Moores. And always remember to review after reading!

 **Edit:** Ok, so this has been something I've been debating with doing. When I first published this chapter, it was before Goku Black, which is where we learned Goku and ChiChi have never kissed (which is a realization I love! It gives us sooo many opportunities). So after the episode came out inbetween chapter 10 and 11, I debated with myself about referencing it in chapter 11. Originally, ultimately, I decided not to, because I had in 10 he didn't say anything (when he would have, so I felt there would be too many edits), and on top of that there was a huge fandom debate on if he meant kissing or administering a senzu in that fashion. So, fast forward to today, I'm reading the Super comics to get some background on some stuff that I plan on referencing later, and I come across that scene in the comics where it's pretty much Toriyama confirmed, Goku's never been kissed. And the opportunity I had originally thought of came back, and I realized there really wouldn't be that much editing. So I decided to change it for future scenes! Pretty much, the chapter is the same as it was, except some bits of Goku being all "WTF is kissing?" Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** All DBZ content is owned by Akira Toriyama, Funimation, and Toei Animation.

 **Chapter 10**

 **Gather for the Tournament**

The day of the tournament was fast approaching. The night before, ChiChi, Goten, Gohan, Mia and Siyaka made their way over to Capsule Corp. to fly out early in the morning. Bulma had agreed to let them spend the night to make traveling as a group easier. As they pulled up to the yellow domed mansion, Siyaka couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed, as well as a little jealous. When she and Mia got to Earth, they were lucky to scrounge by barely a living. Meanwhile, Vegeta came here and married an heiress to an enormous fortune, and got to spend his days training. It just didn't seem right to the Saiyan noble. Maybe that was karma punishing her for hurting him so much.

They ambled out of the car, greeting Bulma's family on the yard. Vegeta was nowhere to be seen. Bulma introduced everyone to Mia and Siyaka, and while her parents were abnormally friendly, the boy, Trunks, seemed more skeptical of them. Siyaka could tell that he was Vegeta's son, although his purple hair and striking blue eyes made him look more human than saiyan. Goten and Trunks ran off to play, while Gohan and Mia left to put the finishing touches on their training in the gravity room.

That left Bulma, Siyaka, Chichi, and Mr. Briefs sitting awkwardly in the dining area, while Mrs. Briefs brought in coffee, tea, tea-cakes, cookies and brownies. "So, Soiyaka!" Mrs. Briefs started absently in her odd city accent, adding an odd twang to Siyaka's name, "Bulma tells me you're a saiyan too. Do you train all day, like Vegeta?"

Bulma rolled her eyes at her mother's absent-minded questions. She would have spoken up to tell her mother to hush, but it was never any use. Instead she took a long sip of her coffee.

Siyaka shot the blonde woman an odd look, watching her take a bite out of a small tea-cake, before replying, "No. I don't have time with work." She hoped that was all she'd have to say as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Oh!" Mrs. Briefs laughed around her cake, her hand over her mouth. "What do you do for a living?"

Siyaka's bored gaze had no effect on the oblivious blonde. She let out a small sigh. "I'm a homicide detective in the Satan City Police Department," she answered, praying that was it. After everything that happened a little over a week ago, she just wasn't up for the weather-talk inquisition from her ex's brainless mother-in-law.

"Oh my Gawd, a detective!" Mrs. Briefs gushed. "That must be terribly exciting! I just love watching those cop shows, like Law and Order. I think being a detective must be terribly fun! I think maybe I'd be good at it. Honey, do you think I'd make a good detective?" she asked her husband. Dr. Briefs was reading his newspaper. "Honey?"

"Sure, darling," he replied, turning the page in the paper. "Whatever you say."

There was only so much of it Siyaka could take. "You know what, I think I'll check in on Gohan and Mia. See how their training is going."

Everyone at the table looked up at Siyaka, mostly curious. Except for Dr. Briefs. He seemed to hold understanding in his eyes at Siyaka's suggestion. He nodded, setting his paper down. "I'll take you to the gravity room," he said, standing up. Siyaka followed him through the hallways up to the top. "Bulma told us what happened," he started as they wound their way to the gravity room. Siyaka shot him a dangerous look, which didn't shake him, surprisingly. Either he was dimwitted, or he'd spent enough time around Vegeta that threatening looks no longer bothered him. "About you being Vegeta's ex from his time under that lizard alien. That Mia is the long lost daughter he never knew about."

Siyaka looked to the white hallway wall, not knowing how to respond to that except for a small, "Yeah."

Dr. Briefs nodded. "She also told us he didn't take the news favorably, which is why he has been gone for the past week and a half."

"Vegeta's not here?" Siyaka asked, her gaze shifting back to the doctor.

The scientist smiled oddly. "With all of you being able to sense power levels, I'd have expected you to notice." Siyaka scowled at the doctor. He responded with a mild, "Hmm." He paused, letting the silence linger as they continued towards the gravity chamber. "Yes, Vegeta's flown off. It's not the first time he's done it. Usually he disappears when he receives some important news. There was that time he stole my spaceship after Goku refused to come home from some alien planet. Then again when Bulma announced her pregnancy with Trunks. Again when Goku died at the Cell games."

Siyaka eyed the doctor carefully, taking in that news. The Vegeta she knew didn't use to run away from new information, not unless the news was severely negative. Like the couple days he'd flown off after she ended their relationship on Jotun. In fact, that was the first time she ever saw him react like that. She remained silent, thinking correcting the old man wasn't exactly in the best of taste.

"He'll be back before too long though," Dr. Briefs mused, grasping his hands behind his back. "Even though he flies off at a moment's notice, he always returns. Ah," he breathed, stopping at a door, "here we are."

"Thank you, Doctor," Siyaka said in a small voice, taking the doctor by surprise.

A slightly shocked smile was on the doctor's face as he replied, "You're welcome."

She set her eyes on the white metal door as the doctor left her. She hit the button, sounding off a buzzer as the door opened. Once inside, she saw Gohan helping Mia walk around the gravity room, struggling with the weight of her body. As Siyaka moved towards them, she had to admit, her legs felt somewhat leaden as well. She looked at the machine on the side, seeing the gravity set at twenty-five times earth's gravity, and she cursed at herself. All these years on Earth, and she'd grown soft.

"Hey, Ms. Jicama," Gohan greeted with a grin. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by the added weight. "Is everything alright?"

Siyaka huffed, cracking her neck with a simple movement of her head. "Well, there's only so much mindless chatter I can handle, and Mrs. Briefs seems to be full of it," she stated, plainly.

Gohan laughed heartily, "That sounds like something Vegeta would say." Siyaka frowned, looking at the ground, her guilt eating at her a little. It was odd. Before last week, Vegeta or their old relationship rarely came up in conversation. Now that her history with him became a somewhat known taboo subject, no one could stop mentioning it or him to her. "S-sorry," Gohan muttered, turning back to tend to Mia.

"What are you doing here, Mom?" Mia asked through gasps, clearly not used to the heavier gravity simulation. Her bangs clung to her forehead, soaked with sweat. She had obviously changed into shorts and a tank top at some point, which made Siyaka regret not getting out of her jeans and into something more flexible. But she could still train, no matter her attire.

"I want to train," Siyaka replied, as if Mia should have guessed. They were in a training room after all. "And I'm entering the tournament," she added with finality, causing Mia to struggle to straighten up. "I won't be the only saiyan on Earth not joining in." The way Siyaka said it, it was clear that it was a matter of pride to her. But the saiyan princess could sense something else underneath the pride, something she couldn't put her finger on, but it was obvious that it had something to do with her father and his lack of presence. Maybe she wanted him knowing that she was going to be around now, no matter what. She wasn't leaving this time.

Siyaka held up her fists, powering up to Super Saiyan with ease. She huffed as her golden ki flared around her, eyeing the two teenage saiyans, falling easily into a fighting stance similar to Vegeta's. "Alright you two. Come at me with everything you've got." Gohan smiled, turning to Siyaka. With a loud shout, he transformed into a super saiyan, causing Siyaka to smile excitedly.

Mia shot them both a slightly disgusted and jealous scowl. She powered up as far as she could, finding the pull of gravity not pulling as hard, but movement was still difficult. Gohan gazed at her amorously before switching his expression back to one of battle and focused back on Siyaka. Siyaka got the inkling she'd missed something between the two teens, but her mind let it go with ease, focusing on last minute training.

With a howl, Mia launched at her mother with an impressive series of right and left hooks and kicks, all of which Siyaka dodged and blocked with ease. It was simple thanks to the gravity affecting Mia more than her mother. Siyaka was able to shove Mia away with a push of energy, giving Gohan an opening to jump in. His fist flew faster at the older saiyan, and they were more restrained than Mia's. Siyaka long knew Mia's style of fighting was to go all out early, hit hard rather than pull her punches. Gohan was different. Even though he hit harder than Mia, which was obviously because he was a super saiyan, she could feel that he was trying to feel out her own limits before going to his own.

Siyaka frowned. She wasn't a fan of such games. She snatched his right wrist out of the air, pulling it behind his back, and twisting it up, immobilizing that arm unless he felt like dislocating it. Her other arm grabbed a firm hold of his left shoulder, pushing him onto his knees. Her thumbs jabbed into pressure points each in the shoulder and wrist, causing him to gasp. He looked back at the saiyan woman, eyes wide. "How'd you do that?" he managed to ask through gasps of sharp pain.

Siyaka smiled, letting him go. He immediately moved to rub his sore wrist, looking at her for an explaination. "Police training prefers to teach submission fighting," Siyaka explained. "Certain pressure points, if squeezed can cause the body to lock up, like the ones I pressed in your wrist and shoulder."

"You left yourself wide open, Gohan," Mia stated, off to the side as she gathered her breath. Siyaka smiled. At least her daughter saw the mistakes Gohan had been making. Mia knew better than to hold her fist anywhere long when fighting her mother. Gohan's cyan gaze looked over Mia strangely as she added, "Mom's more mixed martial arts than just straight martial arts. Sticking to normal sparring form without adaptability can cause you to lose."

"Huh," he sighed, turning back to the super saiyan woman.

Siyaka scowled at the two teens, her hands on her hips as she snapped, "Are we going to chit chat, or train?" Mia smirked, her power rising back to its normal level as she stood next to Gohan. She muttered a plan to him, which caused him to smile. Siyaka raised her fists in front of her face, her cyan eyes watching the teens carefully. "Let's go, you two!"

* * *

The flight to the island took longer than Mia expected. Had she known it was going to take at least two hours, she would have tried to convince Gohan to fly separately. Maybe they could have gotten there early and had some fun. But there was no use complaining about it now, as they had already landed on a crowded island. She walked next to Gohan in front of his mother, brother and grandfather, following Bulma, Trunks, Krillin and his family leading the way. Oddly enough, their group also consisted of an old man named Roshi, a pig named Oolong, scarred man named Yamcha and his talking cat, Puar. The scarred man reminded her little of her uncle Rito in his mannerisms. Both were flirts, but neither were as lecherous as the old man, who had already tried to make a pass at both Mia and her mother. Mia smiled at the memory from the plane when Roshi had moved to grope her mother only to get pulled into a headlock that made him turn blue as she told him, "Touch me again, old man, and you might not live to see tomorrow." Bearing that in mind, Siyaka had decided to walk flank to the group keeping an eye out, and her distance away from the old man.

Gohan looked down at her with a curious expression. "What is it?" he asked.

She shrugged, twirling strands of hair at the end of her braid. "Nothing," she replied. "Just, today is going to be a fun day." She could feel her tail squirming with anticipation. She couldn't wait. She knew she wouldn't win, but she'd get close.

The sounds of instruments, games, and street vendors filled the air as they walked through the grounds. "Wow," Krillin murmured, "it's like a world fair." Bulma nodded her agreement, keeping an eye out for her husband. She was nervous, understandably. Mia would be nervous too if Gohan just up and left for a week and a half with barely a word between them. She let her hand graze his, her fingers caressing his palm a bit, causing him to blush at the loving touch. Their gloves didn't allow them the skin to skin contact needed to connect their minds, but the gesture would have been unmistakable to him at least.

Loud cheers echoed around the area, causing everyone to turn to see the excitement. "Hey, look you guys!" Yamcha laughed, pointing to a red plane. "It's the guy who _saved_ us because we were too _weak_ to stop Cell." His sarcasm was apparent, causing a few people to laugh. The crowds around the plane cheered louder as the familiar burly man with curly black hair, and shining blue eyes stepped out. His white cape was draped over his shoulders as he waved to the throng of clamoring fans. Videl stepped out from behind him, and the interviewers pounced, begging for answers from the Satan family.

"Would you get a load of them?" Krillin scoffed, a look of mild disgust on his face as he eyed the spectacle. "I don't know what's worse. Him or his fans."

"I'm more curious about where my Dad is," Gohan stated, frowning as he looked everywhere except the plane.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up?" Roshi called out, gesturing to a small copse of palm trees with his cane, where a tall green man and a turban stood in the shadows, his arms crossed in a tough-guy stance.

Gohan grinned, walking over to his longtime friend. "Hey, Piccolo."

The former guardian smiled, opening his onyx eyes to his first friend, only for his smile to faulter. "You aren't actually wearing that, are you Gohan?"

"Yeah, sure," Gohan replied easily. "H-have you heard from my Dad?"

Piccolo sighed, loosening his stance as he looked off into the sky. "No, not yet. But don't worry. He'll be here."

At that moment, there was a loud _PIP_ , causing everyone to turn to see its cause. In front of them stood a somewhat tall man dressing in a bright sunset orange dogi with a dark blue t-shirt and belt. He wore black boots with red ties around the ankles and blue sweatbands on his wrists. His hands settled in easy fists on his hips as he looked at the group with his dark saiyan eyes. His hair was settled in wild jet black spikes. Mia had recognized him immediately from his baby and family photos. It was Kakarot. Mia had to admit, she originally thought Gohan looked a lot like his mother, but seeing Kakarot now, she could see his bone structure, kind eyes, and easy smile were directly from his saiyan father. Next to him was a pink-haired hag that sat on a crystal ball.

"Hi, guys!" Kakarot half laughed with a wave. His gaze shifted to Gohan, a proud smile on his face as he added, "My God, Gohan. You're giant!"

Gohan let out an awkward chuckle, which Mia could tell was to cover the tears shining in his eyes. Her heart ached a little seeing Gohan so emotive. He was always smiling, but this was the first time she'd seen him near tears from happiness.

He wasn't the only one either. Krillin, Bulma, Chichi, and even the talking cat looked as if they were going to collapse into a puddle of tears. Kakarot gave an awkward laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, are you guys just going to stand there?"

Krillin dove first, grabbing the taller man around his waist as he cried, "Goku!"

Gohan dove next, pulling his dad into a tight hug around his shoulders, exclaiming, "Dad!" The pig and cat flew at him last, Puar grasping around his neck, and Oolong around his leg.

Mia cast her eyes down as the rest of the group cried at their dead friend's return. She wasn't sure exactly what she should have done at such an intimate moment. She didn't really know him, except that he was the reason Mia and her mother were on Earth now. Well him and his brother's sacrifice. She felt like she was intruding, and as she looked over to her mother, Mia realized she wasn't the only one feeling out of place.

ChiChi sniffled off to the side, her fingers under her nose as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Honey, I've missed you so much!"

Kakarot smiled at her past the group hugging on him, his grin full of love as he looked at his wife. "I've missed you too, ChiChi." A movement behind Chichi's leg caught his eye. Goten's spiky black hair, a dead ringer for his father's, poked out from behind her. Kakarot shot his wife an odd confused look, pointing at her leg as he said, "Uhm, ChiChi, there's a little me behind your leg."

ChiChi nodded with another sniffle, turning back to her youngest son. She wiped a tear from her eyes as she told him, "Goten, it's ok." The mini-Kakarot leaned out from behind ChiChi, his white-knuckled fist holding onto ChiChi's yellow dress in a death grip.

Kakarot maneuvered himself out of the crowd of hugs to kneel in front of his wife, his gaze trained on the little boy. "Hi," he said in a small voice. "What's your name?"

Goten blinked at his father, his mouth closed tightly before muttering, "My name's Goten."

"Goten, huh?" Kakarot said with a smile. "My name's Goku."

ChiChi placed her hands on Goten's back, pushing him gently forward. "It's ok, Goten. That's your father," she said softly, looking back at her husband earnestly.

Goten's unsure gaze shifted from his mother back to his father, before he sprinted forward, leaping into Kakarot's arms, calling out, "Daddy!" as he tackled the saiyan man to the ground.

"Wow, you're a strong one, aren't you?" Kakarot laughed as his youngest son hugged him tightly.

The pink-haired hag floated next to him, her cold gaze on the reunited father and child. "Remember Goku. You only get twenty-four hours. That's the best I can do," she rasped.

"Of course, Baba. Thanks," Kakarot replied as he got up. He stood up, still holding onto Goten. "Well, we should go ahead, and sign-in, right?" The group agreed, and everyone followed behind Krillin and his family towards the sign-in ahead. Kakarot turned towards Bulma, his eyes holding a curious gaze. "Hey, where's Vegeta? I don't think he'd miss this."

Bulma flushed, looking to the ground away from her long-time friend. "I don't keep track of him," she muttered only to be drowned out by a gruff voice calling out from the side, "I'm right here Kakarot." The group turned to see the Saiyan Prince, his hands in his pockets, and already dressed in a navy blue fighting jumpsuit. The prince didn't look at anyone except Kakarot, a determined gleam in his black eyes as he took in his long-term rival.

"V," Siyaka barely breathed, causing his gaze to shift for a millisecond to his former lover, then shift back to Kakarot quickly. That was enough to tell Siyaka he was still wounded from her betrayal, but his reunion with Kakarot was more important than his hurt pride.

"Vegeta," Bulma started, stepping towards him, her arms crossed. He looked longer at his wife, his scowl still in place. "Trunks, why don't you and Goten play. Mommy and Daddy need to talk." Trunks nodded, moving away from his parents, but still eyeing them carefully. Bulma stepped towards the prince, gesturing for them to break off from the group. He complied, following her over to a sidewall.

"Hey, Gohan!" another voice called from just outside the group. Mia's eyes narrowed as Videl walked over standing next to Gohan. She wore her normal clothes. Black spandex shorts, and a baggy t-shirt with fingerless gloves and boots. The only difference was the her short hair that still took some getting used to. "I almost didn't recognize you," Videl purred, causing Mia's eye to twitch. Oh, she couldn't do anything now, but Mia couldn't wait for an opportunity to deck the bitch in her face. Gohan chuckled sheepishly, scratching his head through the knot of his black mask. She eyed him like a slab of meat before adding with a flirty smirk, "The mask really suits you."

"Uh, thanks," he replied uncomfortably, a blush creeping to his cheeks. No doubt he could sense Mia's fury building. Or her glare burning a hole through his head. "Hey, how's your flying going? You still practicing?"

"Yeah," Videl answered with a grin. "Now, I'm twice as fast. You wanna see?"

Gohan bit his lower lip, as if in thought before he replied, "Better save it for the ring."

"Of course," Videl said with a small pout, waving off the suggestion simply. She pointed at him as she added, "I better see you after the pre-lims."

"Of course."

With that, Videl nodded, making her way back to her father and his throng of fans. Mia scowled at even the way she walked away, sashaying her hips dramatically, the intrusion leaving a distaste in her mouth. Videl knew he was taken. She didn't have to make her feelings so obvious. Gohan wasn't the type to cheat, and it clearly made him uncomfortable the way she talked to him so sexually charged. On top of it all, Videl just came out of it looking desperate. It was enough to make Mia sick.

"Gohan, who was that?" Kakarot asked, gesturing to Videl.

"Oh!" Gohan chirped awkwardly to his father, waving off the interaction. "That's just Videl. She's just a friend from school."

"Well, she was flirting like she was _just_ your _girl_ friend," Yamcha chimed in, with a wink.

Krillin frowned at Gohan. "I thought you were with Miss Dress-a-like over there," Krillin started, jamming his thumb in Mia's direction, who scowled back at the interaction. How dare they even suggest Gohan was with Videl? That would need to be fixed… _Now_. "D-do you have _two_ girlfriends?"

Yamcha let out a scoff. "Wow Gohan. Playa', playa'."

"Aw, Gohan. Is that a sunburn, or are you blushing?" Kakarot teased, poking at his son's cheeks.

Gohan scooted away from his father's finger, eyes trained on the ground with his hands up in surrender. "G-guys. Don't be crazy. I-I'm not dati…"

"Gohan only has _one_ girlfriend," Mia announced, stepping in the middle of the group, her tone full of annoyance. Before anyone else could say anything, she pulled Gohan in by the collar in an aggressive kiss. His mouth opening at her lips contact, which she seized immediately deepening the kiss.

 _Mia, what are you…?_

 _I'm getting them to shut up,_ she thought, pressing her tongue against his for ground. She could feel his nervousness and shock through their kiss, and she sent calming feelings through their contact, settling his uneasy feelings. As he began to calm, he began to ease into the kiss as well, pulling her into him, her chest against his. His right hand found its way to her hip and the top of her ass, while his left rested at the base of her skull, pulling her in for better access. Her tail unraveled from her waist as the ecstasy of the moment surged through her, wagging the furry appendage in the air, earning a couple gasps from the group.

* * *

"We need to talk," Bulma started as she pulled Vegeta aside, her arms crossed in a protective stance.

"I'd say so," Vegeta half laughed, half barked. "Like for starters, why didn't you tell me about Siyaka and my …" he paused awkwardly, the word daughter catching in his throat. He cleared the awkward word out with a small cough as he crossed his arms, matching his wife's stance, correcting his wording, "about Siyaka and Mia?"

Bulma scowled at the prince, a deep-seeded disappointment in him growing as she snapped back, "I might as well ask why you never told me you had a serious relationship before me!"

Vegeta looked away from his wife with a frown. "It never came up before."

"Bullshit!" Bulma snapped back, her eyes shining with tears. "I told you everything about me! Everything that hurt me. And you couldn't manage to tell me about one relationship! Why?" He refused to look at her now, his jaw set as he took her backlash. She couldn't help but feel the deep seeded anxiety welling up inside her again. "D-do you still love her?"

Vegeta sneered back at her. "I don't need to be questioned by you! You lied to me for months!"

"And you lied to me for almost _ten_ goddamn _years_!" Bulma hissed back, her blue eyes burning with fury. "Were you ever going to tell me about her?!" she added, her voice creaky from holding back tears.

"When were you going to tell me about Mia? Before or after you got fucking pregnant?" he snapped back, his voice biting, knowing he'd hit a nerve with that. Bulma looked down, her bangs covering her face to hide her shame. Of course he'd figured out her plan. "That's what I thought," he hissed.

"Vegeta," Bulma breathed. "I didn't mean to …"

"You didn't think I'd figure it out," Vegeta said back, shaking his head, and looking away from her.

"No," Bulma cried, wiping a tear quickly from her eyes. He gave her an appraising look as she wept. "It wasn't that. I-I thought … I don't know what I thought."

"Finally, some damn honesty," Vegeta huffed, glaring at his wife.

"Damn!" Yamcha wolf whistled off to the side. "Get it, Gohan!"

"Sh-she's a saiyan!?" Krillin gasped, causing Vegeta's ears to perk up, just as ChiChi hissed at her son, "Gohan!"

Siyaka let out a laugh. "It's about time."

"EW!" Trunks and Goten called out.

"Uuuuh… What're you doing, Son?" Kakarrot asked.

" _REALLY!?_ " Krillin seemed to snap at his friend, who gave a small "What?" in response, as Android 18 said seemingly to ChiChi, "You poor woman."

The Prince's attention was torn from the argument with his wife to the oldest hybrid brat only to see Gohan's gloved fingers rested on his daughter's hip and neck. Her arms rested on his shoulders, pulling herself up to meet him. An intimate embrace to be sure, but what made Vegeta see red was the brat's lips on his daughter's, the kiss deep and passionate. Their eyes closed in bliss as their mouths battled against each other. Her tail wagging happily like a common schnup. "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" he howled, stomping away from his wife and over to his daughter. He ignored the odd looks the rest of the group gave him as he moved quickly to the young couple, grasping his daughter's forearm tightly as he ripped her from the hybrid's grasp. Their lips came apart with a loud smack as Vegeta spun Mia around to look at him. "There is no way in _Hell_ a daughter of _mine_ is mating one of Kakarrot's brats!" Mia began to smile, her eyes containing a proud cocky shimmer he'd recognized frequently in his own. She was going to challenge him. A pit of dread fueled anger welled in him at the thought of Mia and Gohan together as he added, "I _forbid_ it!"

"W-wait, you're dating Vegeta's daughter?" Krillin gasped, looking at Gohan, who could only blush and purse his lips. "Vegeta _has_ a _daughter_?!" Behind Vegeta, Roshi let out a small squeak, his eyes shifting to Mia's mother, who responded to his fearful gaze with a nod.

Mia laughed. In. Vegeta's. Face. That was not ok. He growled, "You think this is a joke? I'm absolutely serious, M… uhm…"

"It's Mia," she reminded, with a smirk, easing herself out of her father's grip. She added patronizingly, "And I think it's just _so cute_ you think you have any say in who _I_ date."

Vegeta felt his eye twitch as his lividity welling in his stomach began to grow. "What?" he hissed dangerously.

Mia shrugged, her frown nonchalant. "Well, Gohan and I have been dating a little over a month now. And, well, you've only known I was your daughter for a week." Vegeta tightened his fists at his sides, shaking with fury. _A month!?_ "You don't really know anything about me. Hell, you don't even remember my name. So, you _really_ have no say in who I'm dating."

"I am your father, and that should be enough," Vegeta hissed.

Mia let out a bark of a laugh. "Pffft. Yeah, ok," she chuckled, patting her father lightly on the shoulder with a gloved hand in a condescending way as she passed him. "Good luck with that argument in the future." She waltzed back over to her blushing boyfriend, hooking her arm with Gohan's as she said, "Come on. We need to sign-up for the tournament." Gohan did his best to avoid Vegeta's deadly scowl as they turned towards the sign-up area.

Vegeta shook all over as his glare followed his daughter and her boyfriend. He hoped Gohan could feel his murderous intentions through the glare the prince sent to his back, through his ridiculous red cape. He thought back on the several times he had a chance to murder the boy, but didn't because it wasn't quite worth it. His first time one Earth, Namek, even just after Namek. It would have been easy. _Murdering him would have been worth it if I'd known about him seducing my daughter,_ he thought. Just the idea of one of his offspring mating with one of Kakarot's, especially the goody-two-shoes that was more interested in studying than being battle-ready, it just rubbed the prince the wrong way.

A hand grasped his shoulder, gently. He looked over, seeing Siyaka as she gave his shoulder a small squeeze. He shrugged her off, returning to glare at the hybrid boy. "She's a good kid," Siyaka stated, her kind gaze falling on the young couple. "And he's a good kid, too. She's really liked him for a while."

"I don't like it," Vegeta growled, shrugging Siyaka's hand away. "She shouldn't be mating with anyone yet. Especially someone like him."

Siyaka laughed. "No, I don't think they've mated yet."

Vegeta shot her a skeptical look, a sneer on his mouth. "How would you know?" he asked, returning to glare at the young couple.

Siyaka rolled her eyes. "Trust me. I'd know."

Vegeta shook his head, not really trusting the word of his former mate. As far as he was concerned they had been together a month, which means they could have already mated. The first time he and Siyaka mated, they had only been friends a couple weeks. And whether his guess was true or not, that put the hybrid brat on his hit-list.

As his daughter leaned over the table to sign-in, Vegeta finally got a good look at what his daughter was wearing. A bright red sleeveless dress that was cut on her chest to show her ample bossom, and a short enough skirt that her ass poked out a little from the bottom. She still wore a black body suit underneath, her only skin showing was her copious cleavage and jaw-line. The white cape she wore was one-shouldered, and did nothing to cover what the skirt didn't. Nothing was left to the imagination. Gohan may not have noticed, but there were other men around staring at Mia as she bent over the table. _They're looking at her like she's a piece of meat._ "What is she wearing!?" he growled, a look of disgust crossing over his features. "She looks like she's wearing a harlot's uniform."

Siyaka shrugged, watching her daughter straighten herself up and letting Gohan sign-in. "I don't know. Your wife was the one who designed the costume."

He looked up to direct a glare at his blue-haired wife, who refused to look at him. He gave a derisive snort as he turned back to watch his daughter link arms with the slacking hybrid, leading him back towards the locker rooms as the rest of their team began to sign in. Vegeta was interrupted as Kakarrot leaned over to him and asked, "So, what were they doing?"

Vegeta glared at the Saiyan simpleton as he replied, "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Kakarrot just stared blankly at the prince as Vegeta snapped, "THEY WERE _KISSING_ , YOU DOLT!"

Kakarrot continued to stare blankly as he replied, "I don't know what that means."

Vegeta blinked at the taller Saiyan slowly, then left. Goku turned to Bulma for back up, but the blue-haired scientist just shook her head, her face in her palm.

"Mooney!?" someone called out with a high pitched voice, causing everyone to turn to see a tall blonde young woman with lightly tanned skin walking towards their group. Her long hair cascaded in golden waterfalls over her shoulders and down her back. Her sultry bright brown eyes glistened like the diamond stud in her upper lip. She wore light pink lip gloss on her thick lips that were pulled into a grin, showing off her perfect white teeth. She wore a bohemian top, that made her already large bust seem even bigger, as well as comfortable looking blue jean capris and brown cork espadrilles. Master Roshi did his best to contain his horribly obvious drooling.

Mia turned around, her eyes wide. She extricated herself from Gohan's grasp as she asked, "Libby?"

The girl put her hands on her hips, a frown on her face as she said, "Well, don't I get a hug, Bitch?" Mia let out a loud squeal catching everyone but Siyaka off guard as the saiyan princess sprinted to the newcomer, nearly tackling her in a hug. The blonde squeezed her back tightly. "Oh my God. I missed you!"

Mia pulled herself out of the girl's grasp as she asked, "What are you doing here!?"

The blonde put her hands on her hips, puffing her large chest out as she stated, "Well, I got back from my trip a couple weeks ago. And my brother, Sharpener, had tickets to support Videl in the tournament. They had bought an extra for another friend, but he hasn't been in school for a month. So they gave me the ticket. And voila. But I've got a better question," she segued, holding a finger up at her friend. "What are you doing here, and who are these people? One. Two. What are you wearing? Three. Who's your boyfriend? He looks familiar. And Four, the most surprising since you're supposed to be the good one between us. What is this I hear about you crashing a Satan party?" Mia began to refute the last one as her friend held up her hand, silencing her as she added, "And don't bother denying it. I've already seen the video on BOSCH.0! So spill!"

"She crashed a _what_?" Siyaka spoke up, stepping up to the teen girls, her arms crossed and her glare dangerous.

"Oh," the blonde muttered, pursing her lips. "I didn't see your Mom there. Sorry," she apologized, patting Mia on the shoulder gently, who just shot her friend a withered look in response. The girl put on a big smile, waving to the saiyan woman as she greeted cheerfully, "Hey, Ms. J."

Siyaka's scowl didn't lessen on her daughter as she replied, "Hi, Libby. Now what was this about a Satan party? And what video?"

Libby pursed her lips, leaning down to Mia as she asked, "Should we just show her?"

"No!" Mia hissed.

"Yes," Siyaka ordered simultaneously. Libby shot a look at Mia, causing Siyaka to snap, "Now!" Mia sighed, gesturing for Libby to pull out her phone and pull up the video online and handing it to her mother. The group listened in to the sounds of a raucous party over the phone as the beat of a popular song beat over the crowd's roar. Mia had seen the video already. She was dancing on the table, gyrating her hips to the music sexually. Roars of unhappy groans echoed over the phone, which was when Gohan was pulling Mia from the table and on her way out. There was a decent amount of rustling before groans of disgust erupted and someone laughed, "Ugh, she barfed!" There was a little more laughter, before the video cut off.

Siyaka tapped the phone, glaring at the screen, her mouth pursed into a frown as her mind ran through her options. "I'm sorry?" Mia offered.

"Sorry?" Siyaka scoffed, shooting her daughter a perilous look. "I can't believe you'd do something like this."

"Mom…"

"And you pulled poor Gohan into it," Siyaka huffed. She held up the phone accusingly to Mia. "You care to explain this, Mia?"

"I-it wasn't completely my fault," she tried. "I was drunk!"

"And now you're grounded until graduation." Siyaka tapped the phonecase with her finger, her lips pursed in a frown. Siyaka shook her head, a glower on her daughter.

"Figures," Mia mumbled.

"I just can't believe your nonchallance about this. You've got a lot on the line: college, jobs. You know anything posted on the internet can hurt you in the long haul." Siyaka huffed, handing the phone back to Libby. She crossed her arms as she eyed her daughter. "And why was everyone cheering 'Slut'?"

"Rumors," Libby chimed in, waving her hand as if the matter meant nothing. "My brother's an ass, and he's spread some bullshit about her. But you know how it is. The more you deny rumors, the more people believe them. But don't worry. Mia's never been anything like me, you know. She's a good girl."

Siyaka lifted an eyebrow at the blonde girl, knowing full well of her sexual escapades from her many spend the nights with Mia. Siyaka nodded, letting the comment go and choosing to trust her daughter in that aspect. She ran a hand through her hair, "Tell me, what did the colleges think about this? Because, you know they look at that stuff."

Mia blanched at her mother's addition. "Uhhhh – yeah, about that."

Siyaka scowled, her arms back to crossed. "What?" she growled, baring her teeth.

"I'm still accepted at the colleges I heard back from, buuuut …" Mia trailed off not looking at her mother.

" _But?_ " her mother growled dangerously, urging her daughter to continue.

"I-I sort of lost the full-ride scholarship at Northwestern," Mia finished sheepishly, wincing at her mother's oncoming reaction.

"MIA!" Siyaka howled, "How could you!? That was your in! I can't pay for four years of college out of pocket. We'd go bankrupt!"

Mia held up her hands, trying to shush her mom before Siyaka spiraled out into a fullblown panic attack about money. She caught her father's gaze for a brief second as he stood off to the side pretending to ignore her mother's tirade. "Now, Mom. Mom. You know I'm nothing if not resourceful. I've already applied for a PEL grant, Financial aid, and I'm here, entering in a tournament for _money_." Siyaka shot her daughter a panic stricken glare.

"Don't forget those scholarship singing competitions we did together. We did win 3 years in a row," Libby chipped in, earning a wide-eyed glare from the princess and a confused look from the saiyan noblewoman. Libby's helpful smile fell to a sheepish twitch. "Wow, I'm just hitting it out of the park in the blabbermouth department, aren't I?"

"Singing scholarships," Siyaka asked, her frown shifting between the two. Mia placed her face in her hands, muttering, "Libby, you suck," under her breath. "But, you can't sing. When were these competitions."

"Now, Mom, please," Mia started. She let out a sigh, her shoulders dropping as she realized it was better to just come clean. "Yes, I can sing. I won about 650,000 zeni in opera singing scholarships, which will pay for a little under two semesters. And I didn't tell you because I knew you would judge me for having such a passive hobby."

"Mia," her mother breathed, a sad look in her eye as she looked at her daughter.

"And I even put that passive hobby to use. See, resourceful," Mia finished anxiously. She shot an uneasy look to her mother as she asked, "Are you still mad at me?"

Siyaka sighed, a small smile on her face as she pulled her daughter into a hug. She added softly, "No, I'm not mad."

"Am I still in trouble?" Mia inquired hopefully.

"I'd say so," chimed in a new voice. The group looked up, seeing a familiar man with a tanned face, and chiseled looks.

"Omg, it's him," Libby breathed, her eyes gaining a lusty hopeful gaze. She began twirling her hair girlishly, and with a breathy giggle said, "Hey Rito."

He shot the blonde teen an odd smile as he replied awkwardly, "Hey Libby."

Libby blushed, giggling at his addressing her. Mia poked Libby, drawing her attention away from the Latino detective, as she asked, "Dude, what's your deal?"

Rito rolled his eyes and turned to his partner, pulling her aside with a scowl on his face as he added, "Jicama what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in hiding?"

"I'm entering the tournament," she answered boldly. "I'm done hiding."

Rito rolled his eyes. "Done hiding," he laughed. "Well, I'd say you're being an idiot, with mafia wanting you and all, and this being a televised event. But …" his gaze shifted to Mia off to the side, taking in her superhero getup, "with Mia being a flying superhero, I'm guessing there's more to you than meets the eye." He took a step closer to the saiyan woman. "So how long have you known?" he asked Siyaka. "Because, Mia had me fooled the whole time, apparently." He shot Mia a smile and thumbs up mouthing "Good job," which she reciprocated.

"She only told me after the cooler."

"But you've known she could fly already, right?" Rito started filling in.

Siyaka shrugged. "Well, _someone_ had to teach her."

Rito grinned in disbelief. "You can fly too!?" He shook his head with a laugh. "I don't know why I'm surprised. Of course you can fly. And I'm guessing you're not worried about running into your ex anymore, either?"

Siyaka jerked her head over towards Vegeta, who scowled appraisingly back at the tanned man. "He's over there."

Rito looked over to the saiyan prince, his eyes narrowed as he looked the spiky haired man over. "Ri-ight. I just missed _everything_ the past couple months apparently. … Why does he look so familiar?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Siyaka laughed.

"You just told me both you and your daughter, who I've known for the past ten years, can fly? I'm fairly certain you can't blow my mind further," he pointed out, a smirk on his face as he crossed his arms, challenging her.

Siyaka cocked an eyebrow at her partner. She huffed before saying, "If I hear you told anyone about this, you and I gonna have problems."

Rito nodded his agreement, scooting closer to the saiyan lady. "So, who is he?"

"You recognize him from the Cell Games," Siyaka stated.

"No F-ing way," the human detective breathed as he looked back to Siyaka's ex, getting a return glare. Rito's gaze roved over the rest of the group they were with, recognizing the tall green man immediately from the televised fight seven years ago, as well as the short pale man who now had hair, the man in the orange gi that looked so familiar. Realization donned on him as he realized half of the big group that showed up to the Hercule versus Cell fight seven years ago were present and signing up for the tournament. That meant Mia's new boyfriend, Gohan, was the young delivery boy who'd stepped in just before the feed cut out. A giddy smile came over Rito's face as he excitedly whispered through his fingers that had subconsciously found their way to his mouth in his shock, "NO F-ING WAY! Oh, Dios Mio…" He rounded on Siyaka, an accusatory finger pointing at his partner. "I want details!"

Siyaka opened her mouth to explain, but he waved her off excitedly, "Not now. You gotta sign in to the tournament. But after! You better call me, or I'm hunting you down."

"Ok," Siyaka laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious. You've been sitting on this information for seven years. I've been your partner for ten," Rito argued. "I think I've earned some backstory on this."

Siyaka nodded. "Fine. I'll tell you everything after the tournament."

"Good," Rito breathed with finality. He moved to leave adding, "I'll be cheering for you."

"Thanks, and hey," Siyaka stopped, holding out her hand, stopping her partner, "how's the investigation going?"

Rito sighed, his face lower as he replied, "It's close, but there isn't a definitive perp yet. But we have found a few cops who had family ties into the mafia, and we are looking into one or two of them who had previously gone undercover in the mafia. Captain's worried one of them might have turned while on the other side. Whoever it is, they're careful. But we'll catch 'em. Don't worry."

"Can you tell me who they are?"

Rito shook his head. "Captain has this as strictly confidential. Only Steve Lays and I are on this." He reached out for her shoulder giving her a reassuring nod. "We'll get them. Don't worry. Now go kick some ass." With that he left, walking across the group of super-powered warriors. He stopped for a minute at the blue-haired scientist who had separated herself a little from the group. He gave her a once over with a nod and asked, "How you doin'?"

"RITO!" Siyaka snapped, causing him to turn back to his partner. She held pointed to her left ring finger before jutting her head over to her ex, who seemed to be scowling at the unspoken conversation.

He mouthed a small "Oh," pointing gently to the scientist as if Siyaka's message rang loud and clear. He gave a small huff and called back, "Tell your ex to leave some for the rest of us. Damn!" He gave a small salute to Bulma before turning on his heel and leaving.

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" Vegeta growled as Siyaka passed him to sign in. When Siyaka ignored him, he pestered further. "Siyaka, who the Hell was that guy?"

"He's my partner, Fabian Rito," she intoned as she signed her name on the sheet. "He's a bit of a flirt, but he's very dependable."

Vegeta frowned. "Was he just _flirting_ with my wife?" Siyaka rolled her eyes and walked away. She didn't have time for his jealousy. "Figures you'd mate with such a _base_ human." That caused her to freeze, her cold glare turning to him from over her shoulder as she rounded on him.

"I _never_ said he was my mate. I said he was my _partner_ ," she bit back coldly, making her way menacingly towards the Prince, who, although unsettled by her domineering stride and posture, remained stern in his position. "He and I work together as detectives on the Satan City Police Force, because not all of us can _marry an heiress_ and have our lives set without some sort of guaranteed income." She was seething as the hurtful words came tumbling out of her mouth, filling them with venom in her biting tone. Her chest was now almost touching his as she added in a hiss, "And let's not forget, of the two of us, only _you_ had the genetic disposition of straying from a mate and fucking another. Which you _did_."

Vegeta looked away angrily as he replied, "That's not fair. You were dead for ten years as far as I knew."

"And I thought you were completely lost to me for eleven years," Siyaka replied, causing his gaze to soften, but still didn't look at her. "Six of which I too thought you were dead. Add on another seven I knew you were alive and fucking another, that's eighteen years. And yet, not _one_ of those _eighteen_ years did I ever have a moment of straying from _you_." He remained silent under her glare, facing it head on this time.

She was right, he realized, much to his chagrin. It was common for saiyans to remain loyal to their mate even in death. This had been a rising trend for the past two-hundred years before the planet had blown up, because of the sharp increase in the monogamy gene in the saiyan population. Of those who didn't have the gene, like the Prince and many of the saiyan nobles, a long mourning period was somewhat standard before moving onto a string of meaningless sex. But officially taking on another mate, much less marrying a second mate was just not done.

Arriving on Earth had seemed to change that. His saiyan race was gone, and he was the last one with an inkling of Saiyan culture. After Bulma had his son, Trunks, he learned that Earth's customs of two people being married despite previous mates was common. And it had made it easier to give in to his physical needs for the blue-haired scientist, despite never forgetting Siyaka, his first. And he had convinced himself that him moving on would have been what Siyaka wanted for him, to be happy with a family. However, since he had realized she was actually alive all these years, he had also realized that the part of him that had convinced him it was ok was the guilty conscience he had from bedding the scientist in the first place.

And yet, giving into his physical needs with Bulma the first time would have been considered normal for someone like him, as much as it was for the many whores his father infamously fucked during his marriage to the queen. But having a child with Bulma and marrying her, making that child official, it just wasn't done in Saiyan culture. Mostly because it was a sign of huge disrespect to the first mate and their memory. Almost as if he proclaimed his first official mate was nothing more than a whore he had bedded frequently. A part of him knew that if his mother were alive, she'd have blasted him within an inch of his life for such behavior.

He didn't voice his understanding of how hurt his decision to move on had made Siyaka. The shame that had flicked across his gaze had been enough to tell Siyaka that her comments had hit home hard enough. With that, she turned back to the group, following Mia, Gohan, Kakarrot, Krillin, 18, Piccolo, and the boys, leaving Vegeta with his guilt.

* * *

Mia waved goodbye to Libby, shaking her head at her friend's ridiculousness. After Rito extricated himself and Siyaka from Libby's blushing gaze, Libby confessed her undying lust for the Latino detective who had known her since she was ten. Yes, Mia could observe he was and attractive specimen, but the idea of someone her age dating the thirty-eight-year-old detective had seemed disgusting. Libby ignored her friend's disgust and vowed that since she'd banged her way through the Northern territories and had become of legal age, she would get into Rito's pants in one way or another.

As Mia returned to Gohan and his friends and they headed for the locker room, Gohan gave her a small odd smile as he asked, "Who was that?"

"Who, Libby?" Mia asked, jamming her thumb at the teen blonde who seemed to be drooling after the Rito's retreating figure. "She's my best friend, and Sharpner's twin sister."

Gohan frowned, looking back to the blonde trying to see his classmate's resemblance. "His twin?" he asked, noting Libby and Sharpner shared the same shade of hair, defiant brown eyes, and strong posture. "How come I've never seen her before?"

Mia shrugged with a frown. "Well, she graduated from Orange Star last year, as Sharpner would have had he not been held back freshman year."

"Oh," Gohan breathed, frowning.

He opened his mouth to ask more about her, but was interrupted by his father who beamed at Mia as he asked, "So, you're the Mia Jicama I've heard so much about." That caused several curious looks to fall on the pure-hearted saiyan.

Gohan opened his mouth to question his father when Mia interrupted him with her own question. "Yeah, I was wondering how you knew my name back when you announced that you'd be back today."

"He what?" Gohan breathed, a confused glance shifting between his father and girlfriend.

"Trunks told your father about Mia and Siyaka when Goku first arrived from Yardrat," Piccolo interjected, a small knowing smile on his face, which he shared with Goku. Mia silently followed the conversation as Gohan frowned at his mentor.

"Yardrat? You mean when Frieza came to Earth?" Gohan asked. Piccolo and Goku nodded. "You've both known about Siyaka and Mia for ten years?" he clarified. They nodded again. Gohan gaped at his two role models until he just blurted, "And you two never told Vegeta _because_ …?"

"Trunks asked me not to," Goku replied honestly. "He told me that Siyaka in the future and he had developed a close friendship when she became his mentor after you died avenging Mia's death. Apparently you two developed a relationship in the future, and when both of you died, they only had each other and Bulma. Siyaka wanted to make sure he was still alive in this timeline, and if Vegeta _knew_ , that wouldn't happen."

"Ok," Gohan breathed, his mind processing the new information, filing it away with what he already knew. He was a little surprised Mia was still quietly following the conversation instead of interjecting her annoyed opinion, which he knew she had. "But why didn't you tell him _after_ Trunks was born?" He didn't understand why, but the principle of Vegeta being purposefully left in the dark about being a father just rubbed him the wrong way.

Piccolo shot his old student an odd look as he stated, "Vegeta was off in the reaches of space for the last year of training, remember? He didn't get back until the androids showed up."

"And then he went AWOL because he figured out who Trunks was," Mia filled in for Gohan, knowing that tidbit from their conversation a month ago.

"Exactly," Piccolo stated agreeably. "And by the time Goku would have been able to tell him, the Cell Games happened."

"Then why didn't you tell him?" Gohan asked, turning to his teacher with a disapproving frown.

Piccolo scoffed. "I was in no position to tell Vegeta that news. I hated him then. I still kind of hate him now."

"Well, isn't that rich?" a gruff voice huffed from behind them. The whole group turned to see a confused Siyaka who looked on the group with concern, as the Saiyan Prince glowered at the group with contempt. "So everyone, _except me_ , was in on this whole false death thing?"

Krillin raised his hand with a small voice as he said, "Neither 18 or I had any idea."

"I knew who Mia was when she landed on the island," 18 corrected in a bored tone, not looking at the group.

"What's Android 18 doing here?!" Goku shrieked, eyes wide as he took note of the dangerous blonde for the first time. "She's not still trying to blow up the planet, is she?"

She shot the pure-hearted Saiyan an amused smile. "He finally noticed."

"No, Goku. She's my wife," Krillin chided, ignoring Goku's freak-out and questions as he turned back to his wife. "How did you know about Siyaka and Mia?"

"Gero had scouting machines tracking Piccolo and Goku during the five years of peace. When Raditz visited Earth, he came across Piccolo, and Gero had the tracker follow Goku's brother instead," 18 explained tiredly. "Raditz next stop was a playground in Orange Star City, where Siyaka was watching Mia play." Mia and Siyaka looked at the Android with a disgusted horror, as the blonde's clear blue eyes seemed to be recalling a memory, a video in her database. They had been watched? 18 continued, "Kakarrot was mentioned, as was Mia's heritage, and filed away for future use. After Raditz died, Gero decided they were also to be watched, and their dossiers were programmed into each Android up to us in case they joined your team of fighters.

"17 and I were programmed and designed with infinite energy technology to be able to beat Siyaka's strongest form, which was later identified as Super Saiyan in our fight with Vegeta," 18 finished. "And before anyone asks, I didn't tell you because I didn't care."

Vegeta's lividity coursed through him, causing his body to shake slightly. Raditz's meeting with Siyaka was likely when he told Nappa and himself that the scouter was malfunctioning and "needed to be restarted." His subordinate treated him as a fool. Not only that, all the Androids had known about them. Kakarot knew about them. The fucking green slug knew about them. His future son had never brought it up to him, even in the year they spent in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Gohan and Mia even mated in the future, as well as now. And the cherry on this sundae from Hell, Siyaka had actually made it to Super Saiyan first, not Kakarot. Which made him third … or fourth if Trunks from the future was still to be counted.

Vegeta huffed and passed the group not looking at any of them. He was here to settle his rivalry with Kakarot once and for all. After that, he'd figure out how best to handle his "friends'" betrayal. He could feel his hatred for them growing as he left them behind, stalking off to the locker room.

Siyaka watched the Prince as he walked on, worry for what this meant for him. It was one thing for her to lie to him out of necessity. But his friends had also lied to him about her and Mia for years. Most of them who had held out on him had done it out of hatred for him, except his wife, who lied for her own reasons. The Vegeta Siyaka knew wouldn't handle this well at all. Nappa, Raditz and she always respected him, and knew he cared deeply for his team, even though he didn't show it well. He'd have been able to get over her lie, because it was to protect them both. But to find out everyone you were constantly around, people you thought were maybe friends, definitely teammates, didn't actually care for you … she knew it would hit him hard.

A part of her wanted to reach for him, to comfort him, but she knew it wouldn't help him now. Him walking away was to save his pride, what was left of it. Her pity would be less welcome than an energy ball to the face. And the fact he hadn't flown away told her he was staying for a reason, in spite of everything. He had something he was holding onto, to either bolster him, or drive the final nail.

She walked on, ignoring the chatter of the group as she followed behind Vegeta quietly. She made a note to keep an eye on him, to make sure he didn't do something so stupid, he'd regret it later. _Knowing him, he'd be in that state of mind._

Goku poked at Krillin annoyingly until he got his best friend to turn around. "You live in the same house as her?"

Krillin nodded, giving his tall friend a pitying look. "Of course. We even have a daughter, Marron."

"What?!" Goku screeched, his eyes wide in shock, "How do androids have babies!?"

18 rolled her eyes, continuing to walk on to the locker rooms. Krillin frowned, a little embarrassed for his friend's ignorance. "She just so happened to be a human first. Gero kidnapped her and her brother and remodeled them. But she's not completely a robot."

"Oh," Goku said in a small voice before giving his friend a beaming smile. "Well, congratulations!"

"Thanks," Krillin replied slightly annoyed as they began to walk on towards the locker room. Krillin caught up to 18, who was shaking her head and laughing. "Aren't you happy you married me, now?" 18 nodded her answer as Krillin scoffed. "What kind of man doesn't kiss his own wife?"

Goku frowned, but dropped back to talk to Gohan and Mia, who held hands as they followed the group. Goku adopted a sly, knowing look as he asked, "Soooo, how long have you two been together?"

Gohan blushed at his father's antics as Mia responded blandly, "A little over a month and a half."

"And you've been training and spending time together the whole month?" Goku added with a surprised smile.

Gohan and Mia nodded their answer.

Goku mirrored their nods, eyeing them both curiously before narrowing his eyes with a smile as he asked, "Are you two planning on getting married today?"

Gohan froze, his eyes wide at even the suggestion. Mia could feel his hand shake a little in her grip as she laughed. The only reaction available to her at the thought. "What is it with your parents thinking you're getting married today?" she asked in almost a whisper to Gohan, who shook his head in disbelief.

"Well, we _are_ at the tournament, which is where it happens," Goku started listing of, while Gohan and Mia shook their heads, Mia mouthing a small "No." Goku didn't seem to notice. "You're both around the same age ChiChi and I were when we got married. And I only get to come back for today, you know."

"W-we haven't even talked about marriage yet," Mia sputtered out, licking her dry lips, and disentangling her hand from Gohan's. Now it just didn't feel right holding onto it while they were being grilled on their intentions of marriage.

Goku's eyes went wide. "Really!? That was the first thing ChiChi and I ever talked about." He paused, tapping his chin with thought before he added, "Well, I didn't know what it meant then. Actually, I thought it was some type of food," he laughed, looking up to the sky as he recalled his memories, "but I still technically proposed to her. It wasn't until she found me at the tournament when we were older, told me who she was because I didn't recognize her, and reminded me of what I said when we were kids. So, then I proposed again, officially, and we got married that day and have been living together ever since."

Both of the teens' eyes were wide at Goku's innocent tale of proposing and marrying ChiChi. Mia could barely match it to what ChiChi constantly went on about how beautiful their wedding was at the tournament, and how she and Kakarot had been dating and in love since they were kids. The way Kakarot said it, though, there was no planning involved. He didn't think much of her as a kid, and when she showed up as an adult and reminded him, he just went with it. Like the option was just a convenience. And a part of Mia was fairly certain he still wasn't sure all that marriage entailed, especially given the bomb he dropped earlier about he and ChiChi never kissing before. It was clearly a miracle they had any kids, let alone two!

Goku stepped up next to Gohan, nudging his son in the arm. "You know Gohan, it's never too early to propose." Gohan looked at his father in disbelief, his face turning beet red.

Mia patted Gohan on the shoulder awkwardly as she said, "I think you need to talk to your Dad." She walked away from the father and son duo at a brisque pace, her gaze focused on the ground.

Goku looked after the princess curiously as he asked, "Was it something I said?"

Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose as he muttered, "Dad, do you even know what it means to get married?" Goku nodded his answer, but Gohan continued ignoring his father, knowing his father likely didn't get the entire gist of it. "It's not something anyone really enters into lightly. We haven't even gone into what we want in the future, much less if we think we might actually be in love with each other."

Goku frowned at his son, "I didn't even know what love was when I proposed to your mom."

"I gathered that," Gohan muttered, looking away from his father as his heart sank a little. It was clear his father loved his mother now, at least in his own way, and even when Gohan was a kid, or at least he thought so. That was never in question for Gohan. But it did make him wonder exactly what had gone on in his parents' early marriage, considering Gohan himself had been born only a little after their first anniversary. He'd done the math years ago, figuring he was conceived only 3 to 4 months after their marriage. While he'd already figured he wasn't planned, this knew information did make him wonder if his father even understood the concept of being in love or even if Goku was in love with his wife when they'd done the deed.

Gohan shook his head clear of those thoughts. His younger self was hesitant to mar the image and memory that was his dad, his idol. Gohan huffed at himself, an almost scoff at his clinging childish ways.

 _It's odd how clueless father can be at times,_ he mused. When it came to training and being a good father, Goku was hard to beat. But when it came to tact and social norms, his father seemed relatively lost. "What I'm saying is we don't even know what we want in life yet. And if our lives go separate ways, getting married might not be our best option."

Goku shook his head with a laugh, a smile on his face that almost closed his eyes. "Gohan, you are overthinking it. Do you _like_ her?"

Gohan nodded, muttering a small "Of course," watching his father's expression nervously.

"Does she impress you?" Again, Gohan nodded. "Is she someone you could see yourself living your life with?" Gohan had to stop and think on that one. In a perfect world, where everything went right, and they didn't have to worry about college or income, and just live the way they wanted, sure. He could definitely see himself staying with her, spending their time training and having fun. But this was reality. And reality had so many twists and turns, that he knew their relationship was way too young to know whether they could weather those changes. That caused Goku to falter, eyeing his son with concern. "Well, is she?"

"I don't know," Gohan sputtered, his gaze focused on the ground. Goku's shoulders seemed to fall at his son's answer. "In a perfect world, maybe. But now is just too early …"

"Gohan," Goku sighed, a knowing smile on his face, "there's no maybe. She either is or isn't." Gohan refused to look into his father's eyes as Goku continued. "And you know, according to future Trunks, you two were married in the future. Which we all know was far from a 'perfect world.' So, why should it be any different?"

Gohan eyed his father oddly. While now knowing that they had made it work in an apocalyptic future eased his mind about their relationship, it still didn't change one fact. "But that was in a different time-line, full of other factors that would never happen here. It's different this time around." Goku frowned as Gohan continued, "Neither of us is ready for that kind of commitment just yet."

Goku let out a small disappointed sigh as he rested his hands behind his head. "Oh well. I guess I'll just miss it."

* * *

Mia walked into the locker room, shaking her head in disbelief and muttering to herself. Siyaka's onyx eyes followed her daughter oddly, a small smile reaching her face as she asked, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Gohan's parents," Mia muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. "Both of them have mentioned Gohan getting married today. Kakarot even asked if we were planning on getting married today while he's here."

Siyaka chuckled, a small smile on her face as she commented, "Well, you are wearing red."

Mia frowned. "What does that mean?"

Siyaka gave her a prudent look as she stated, "It's tradition for a Saiyan woman to wear red on her wedding day."

Mia rolled her eyes, groaning as she turned away from her mother. "Not you, too!"

Siyaka laughed, going back to tying her shoes, securing them in a double knot, "I'm only teasing." She shrugged, adding in a small voice, "But the wearing red thing is actually the truth." When Mia shot her mom a shrewd onyx glare, Siyaka shook her head, laughing again as she added, "But I wouldn't be too worried. Going by how perturbed your _father_ was by just seeing you _kissing_ Gohan, it will be a cold day in Hell before he gives Kakarot's son his blessing."

Mia gave her mom a strange look and crossed her arms in a dominant stance as she asked, "Why should that matter? Vegeta barely even knows me. _Your_ blessing would be the only one Gohan would really need. Maybe Rito's if he really needs a man's blessing."

Siyaka licked her lips, her teeth biting into her tongue and holding a dangerous frown. She set her foot down as she stood up to see Mia fully, taking in her daughter's nonchalant gaze and stance at the mention of her father. "Mia, you need to respect your father as much as you respect me or Rito. He may be distant now, but it's because he needs time to process such a drastic change in his life. It's not every day someone's life gets turned upside-down." Mia scoffed at her mother, clearly not buying what she thought were excuses. "Mia, you need to understand your father is going through a _lot_ right now," Siyaka stated, more demandingly, earning a serious gaze from her daughter. Siyaka's gaze softened becoming distant, pulling Mia's braid to fall over her shoulder. She finished with a small smile, "I'm certain once he figures everything out, he'll do his best by you and be a good father."

"Whatever," Mia said, her brow furrowed in an odd look at her mother before she turned to leave.

Siyaka sighed, her gaze following after her daughter. A small nagging hope in the back of her mind and heart praying her faith in Vegeta and his proud honor wasn't misguided.

* * *

Eventually, Mia found her way to the qualifying area, seeing that the only recognizable person among the crowd was her father as she stepped through the archway. Set in the middle, being crowded by attendants checking it out, was a machine with a large round pad in the front. "And you are?" the attendant asked, blocking her from the doorway, and drawing her attention away from her father. He held a clipboard and pen in his pudgy hands as he eyed her warily behind his glasses.

"Uh, Saiyagirl," she replied calmly with a smile.

The man nodded, checking her off his list as he stated, "Alright, you should be around the twenty-seventh called for the qualifying test. We will begin qualifying rounds as soon as Mr Satan arrives after his interviews. If you wouldn't mind waiting patiently in the area until we begin."

Mia nodded blandly before she moved to stand near her father, since he was the only one she knew in the space at the moment. She caught her father's suspicious gaze on her, causing her to frown back at the navy blue clad prince. "What?" she almost grunted in annoyance.

He wordlessly turned away from her, his gaze returning to some distant speck on the far wall. It was odd, she realized, that she could see a little of herself in him from the side. Her jawline and nose matched his a little. While she seemed to have her mother's eyes, she definitely had the prince's cheekbones. "You seem to be staring," Vegeta stated gruffly, not looking at her.

"Well, I'm just now seeing the resemblance to you Gohan mentioned," Mia commented snarkily. She gestured between herself and her father as she added, "Mom's annoyed expression is way different from ours." His gaze was now focused on the sky, as if silently pleading with the heavens for some miracle. "Must be your standard expression, because that was the only time Gohan could see any resemblance between us."

"When one's forced to deal with Kakarot's ilk and naiveté, annoyance becomes standard," Vegeta remarked with a huff. "Logic is none of their strong suits."

Mia shrugged with a laugh, "Maybe I'm just more patient than you, which is saying something." Vegeta didn't warrant the comment with a remark. After a quiet moment, Mia added, "Is that why you don't like Gohan?" Vegeta only grunted, looking away from his daughter. Mia shrugged, and continued, "He did mention something about you and his dad being rivals."

A small sneer drifted across his expression that he quickly tried to surpress. "There are many reasons I don't like Gohan," Vegeta started. "One of which is how insufferable his father is. Another is his slacking attitude when it comes to training, disgraceful for a Saiyan. And another was that he had the gall to begin seducing, possibly even mating, my daughter behind my back, which both of you are too young for!" The last one, he settled his onyx glare on his daughter, causing her back to go a little rigid under its severity. It wasn't a death glare like she'd seen him give once or twice within the day alone, but one that held a much deeper emotion that always unsettled Mia. Disappointment.

Mia let out an awkward laugh as her father turned away. "In his defense," she offered, "if ChiChi was your mom, you'd study over training too. Because at that point, it's self-preservation more than pride. You should have seen the conniption she had when he said he was taking a month off of school to train for the tournament. Although, to be fair, she's been married to a guy for nineteen years, and he's never kissed her." Vegeta did his best to hold back a laugh at that, but he did show a small tight-lipped smirk. "I mean, it's no wonder she's so high strung.

"Anyway secondly, we haven't even mated yet, which we aren't too young for, going by how young you and Mom were." Vegeta opened his mouth to retort, but Mia cut him off as she continued, "See, she told me you two first mated when she was sixteen, and you were barely nineteen, and weren't even barely friends at the time. Considering I'm almost eighteen, and according to Gohan's time in the time chamber thing, he's almost nineteen, we'd be the same age you were when you first mated. So age isn't really a good argument. Not to mention, we've been dating a month and a half, and friends for almost three. That's a lot more restraint than either you or Mom showed." Vegeta was seething at her comments, an annoyed rage burning in his coal black eyes as his jaw shook against the pressure of his teeth grinding together.

"Thirdly, I'd _hardly_ call it seduction. Mostly, he was just the first person at school to be nice to me, and include me in things after Libby graduated and left." Vegeta's scowl lessened a little hearing that. It was a little surprising to hear his daughter, like himself, had trouble fitting in amongst the earthlings. Of course there were a few who always tried to make him feel included, his wife and Kakarot mainly. Everyone else just seemed to barely tolerate him. It should have been little surprise that Kakarot's son would do the same thing. "I started liking him because he was giving me a fresh start." Vegeta lowered his gaze a little, almost forgiving Gohan in that part at least. "It helps that he's tall, smart, and incredibly hot," she added almost meltingly. _And there it is again._ His annoyed glare and mild rage returned for the hybrid.

"Hey! Are we late?!" a cheerful voice called out breaking the annoyed tension between the prince and his daughter. They lifted their gazes to see the rest of the group led by Kakarot, with Goten and Trunks running ahead while Gohan and Krillin followed right behind him, with Siyaka, Piccolo and 18 bringing up the rear.

"They haven't started yet," Mia called back with a smirk. "Mr. Satan's taking his time with the reporters. You know how celebrities are." That earned a chuckle from the group as they stood next to Vegeta and Mia. Gohan moved to stand next to Mia, their hands drifting to hold each other, interlacing their fingers. Vegeta grimaced at the small PDA. "Everything ok?" she asked her boyfriend in a small voice.

"Yeah," he sighed back, giving her gloved hand a small squeeze.

"I don't believe it!" someone called from the side, drawing everyone's attention to the new voice. An older man with fake blond hair, moustache, and sunglasses ran up to their group a grin on his face. The man wore a black suit with a vibrant red tie, making it clear he was not a contender. "Son Goku. You haven't been back here in years! Last I saw you, you had just gotten married, and both you and Majunior blew up the stadium! How you doing, Goku-baby!?" He pronounced "baby" like a Hollywood director schmoozing a picky actor.

"Hey!" Kakarot responded brightly. "I didn't know you still did these!"

"Well, who else can they get to commentate on fights when crazy people like you, Majunior, and even Krillin show up," the blonde joked, pointing at Piccolo, causing Mia to frown in confusion. He also gestured to the short man in the group and stated, "Nice hair." Krillin nodded his acceptance. Kakarot laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "By the way," the blonde started with a frown as he looked just above the friendly saiyan's head, "You haven't _always_ had that halo, have you?"

"Oh!" Goku started, wide-eyed. "Nah. I got this when I died fighting Cell. I'm just back today for the tournament."

The blonde man stared at him blankly before letting out a loud bark of a laugh as he said, "With all the crazy shit I've seen you do over the years, it'd be stupid to start doubting you now. Right?" He slapped a friendly hand on Kakarot's shoulder, then taking a look at the group staring at them. A hopeful gleam appeared in his eyes that glowed through his sunglasses as he asked, "Are all these people with you?"

"Yeah-huh," Kakarot grunted, putting his fists on his hips in a proud stance. He clapped a hand on Gohan's shoulder, "This one's actually my son!" The blonde began to eye Gohan with wide eyes.

"Dad!" Gohan hissed.

"What?"

Gohan just looked at his clueless father like Goku should have known why he was upset. "Secret Identity," Mia whispered helpfully while Gohan just continued to glare.

The blonde nodded. "Right, mums the word," the commentator mimed his lips being locked. "So, how old are you, son?"

Giving an odd look at being interrogated, he answered, "Uh, I'll be eighteen in two weeks."

The blonde laughed, shooting a glance at the previous world champion. "Wow, you don't waste any time, do you?"

Kakarot's eyebrows rose high in innocent confusion as he murmured a small, "Huh?"

The commentator ignored Goku's confusion as he added, "Well, I gotta say, thank God you're all here. The past decade of tournaments have been mind-numbingly boring! I can't wait to see the action you'll no doubtedly deliver! Just … uh – let's keep the Ring intact this year, ok?" He added the last bit nervously, as if it was definitely a possibility.

"No promises," Piccolo answered, a small smirk on his face.

The commentator beamed at the green man. "And that's the exact attitude this tournament's been lacking!" Before the blonde could continue, loud cheering sounded as people rushed to crowd the entrance. He checked his watch with a sigh. "That's my queue. It's nice to know we've got some decent fighters this year. I'll see you all in the ring!" Kakarot, Krillin and Piccolo all waved the announcer off.

As everyone turned to the thunderous noise, a thick black and gold champion's belt was thrust in the air as Mr. Satan called out in a thunderous voice, "DOES ANYBODY WANT THIS!?" He was answered with a deafening cheer.

"No," Mia muttered sarcastically to herself. "We all just decided to stand in a qualifying room for hours. Can you believe this guy?"

Gohan let out a small laugh. "Yeah, he's always been a ham."

"I'M SORRY! I DON'T THINK I HEARD ANY OF YOU! I SAID, 'DOES ANYBODY WANT THIS!?'" Hercule was again answered with a deafening cheer, only a little louder this time. He finally lowered it, making his way to the center of the room. "ALRIGHT!" he called out.

One of the attendants stepped forward next to the reigning champion. "Thank you all for joining us today," he started, his voice a little whiny matching his weaker stature, short and flabby. His hair was parted and gelled down the middle, and he wore thick round glasses that magnified his eyes oddly. "As you know, this tournament has sixteen spots available for fighters that you will be qualifying for using …" he paused for effect, allowing for a literal drumroll as he swung his arm to the machine, presenting it like one of the ladies would on The Price is Right, "THIS PUNCHING MACHINE!"

Kakarot let out an awed, "Oh," as he looked the machine over.

Krillin frowned approvingly as he muttered, "At least we aren't wasting a whole day fighting each other to qualify."

"Why?" Vegeta scoffed, not looking at the short man. "Afraid you'd lose?"

"Knock it off," Piccolo breathed, shushing both of them.

"Now," the attendant continued, "seeing as how Mr. Satan is the current champion holder, he is already qualified for the tournament automatically, leaving fifteen slots open! The fifteen highest punching scores will land a spot in the tournament this afternoon. So, to get us started, Mr. Satan, will you do the honors?"

Hercule stepped forward with a small nod. "My pleasure," he growled with a smile. He stepped up to the machine, positioning himself in a fighting stance in front of it. With a loud yell, he threw his punch at the machine pad, the rating up at the top dinged, flashing a nice 120 for everyone to see. He let out a calming breath before turning to the crowd with a smile. "Good luck, everyone! I'm looking forward to meeting the best fighters here in combat. Hopefully, one of you will rank higher than one-hundred so we can have an even match!" He turned on his heel, walking out to greet the interviewers again and get his schedule for the day. He'd have to move to introduce the Junior Division tournament on time. As he left the qualifying room, he lifted a victorious fist, earning cheers and applause from his would be competitors.

"Alright!" the attendant called out. "First up is Achil!" Up walked a shirtless man with curly black hair and striking blue eyes. He wore yellow gym shorts and his arms and fists were wrapped with tape. He threw his punch, the machine giving him a bright 87. And on it went. Another name was called, another fighter went up and tried his best to give a good punch.

18 was the first of the group called up. She moved to step forward, hearing some jeers from the crowd. "Now, honey, remember to hold back," Krillin reminded as he jumped behind her, almost following her up to the machine.

She blinked slowly, boredly, not looking at her husband. "I know," she groused. She positioned herself up to punch, giving a small knuckle punch. The screen flashed up 774, causing everyone to go quiet and the attendants' eyes to go wide. They immediately moved to the machine to check its calibration.

Krillin glowered at his wife as he muttered, "You call that holding back?!"

18 rolled her eyes. "Not my fault they're all weaklings."

"Alright, we should be all set. Why don't you give it another try, Miss?"

18 set herself up again, her fist positioned just in front of the pad. This time, she only sent out two fingers to flick the pad, causing the numbers 208 to flash up on the screen. The attendants' eyes were still wide as they jotted down her score, gesturing her to move out for the next qualifier, her husband. He performed a light punch, earning 199. Kakarot went next, earning a 176. Piccolo was called next as Majunior, and with a small backhanded flick, earned 182.

"The calibration must be off," one of the attendants commented. His observation was quickly dismissed by the others as they had just checked it.

Vegeta huffed impatiently as Siyaka stepped up next. "I believe it's my turn," she huffed annoyed at the attendants. They let her pass, and she gave a small two-fingered flick, earning a 198. One of the attendants shook their head, muttering, "This isn't right. They have to be cheating somehow."

Mia took her spot in front of the machine, giving a slight punch, earning a 203. As she turned away from the machine, proud of her number, she caught the wide eyes of Videl from the crowd and smirked. _You asked us to be here,_ Mia thought giving a small acknowledging nod to the champion's daughter, receiving a glower in return. Mia could almost laugh to herself, realizing Videl still didn't understand just how in over her head she was.

Vegeta caught Mia's glare over to Videl and rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for his daughter's mean-girl squabble with some other teen girl. His patience was already worn so thin. "Out of the way," he ordered Mia, causing her to turn and give him an odd look. She moved, though, letting him pass to the machine as she went to stand by her boyfriend.

"Did my dad just cut in front of you?" Mia asked, a small scowl burning into her father's back.

Gohan crossed his arms and shrugged, a blank expression on his face. "Not actually that surprising, knowing him," he sighed.

"You're cheating," a voice stated, causing them to turn to see Videl glaring at the princess. Mia noted she didn't even see her move over to them, and frowned at the accusation. "It's the only way to explain how you got over two-hundred while my dad only got one-twenty."

Mia couldn't help herself. "Or I'm just stronger than your dad," she goaded, a smirk on her face. Gohan shot her a nervous look, but she ignored it.

"Bullshit!" Videl snapped back, her gloves squeaking as her fists balled together. "My dad's the world champion. He has been for almost ten years!"

"Only because he hasn't gotten in the ring with any real fighters," Mia replied aggressively before being pulled away by Gohan. She struggled to get out of his grasp, frowning at him.

"You need to stop," Gohan urged in a hushed tone.

"Why?" Mia replied hautily. "Because you don't want _your friends_ to know the truth?" The words stung Gohan a little as he leaned away from her. He knew it was Videl who brought this side out of her, and he never completely understood it. He could save a thousand damsels in distress, and had, without Mia acting out or being hostile. But whenever Videl came in to the picture, Mia's claws would show.

"You know why," he breathed, his eyes pleading with hers to calm down.

Videl shook her head in disbelief. "She cheats and she lies, in front of your face, and yet you stick with her," Videl scoffed mostly to herself, but Gohan and Mia caught it.

Mia moved to punch the short-haired girl, only to be caught by Gohan again. "Save it for the ring," he urged, an uncomfortable frown on his face as he appraised Videl. In the back of his mind, he realized Videl never planned on giving Mia and Gohan's relationship a fair shake, as she had promised. But she was still his friend. And he wanted Mia and her to get along. But maybe that just wasn't possible.

A loud explosion caused the scuffle to end, bringing everyone's attention to Vegeta in the center of the qualifying room, his fist held out. The floor was destroyed in a path leading to the exploded punching machine in the corner. As Vegeta turned to leave the rubble, Kakarot smacked his palm against his forehead, and several of the qualifiers with wide eyes muttered their plans to back out and began moving to the exits. Mia could see her mom pinching the bridge of her nose at the prince's actions.

"Nice, Vegeta," Gohan muttered, his expression crestfallen at the spectacle.

Mia let out a laugh, causing Gohan and Videl to eye her curiously as she begun to slowly applaud her father. "Yeah! Well done!" she called out to her Dad, who was now eyeing her like she was crazy.

Videl scowled at Mia, her actions appalling to the champion's daughter. "Why are you clapping!? That asshole just destroyed the machine! Now they gotta find another one!"

"Because," Mia chuckled as she stopped clapping, " _'that asshole'_ is _my_ father." Videl's face fell as she turned back to the rubble and the man Mia claimed was her dad. It was then she realized Mia just might not have been cheating. A sentiment that Videl wasn't sure brought excitement or horror along with its realization.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: All DBZ content is owned by Akira Toriyama, Funimation, and Toei Animation.

 **Chapter 11**

 **The Tournament Begins**

Mia felt a little down as the group minus Gohan made their way to the tournament ring to watch the Junior Division. Gohan had urged them to go without him so Trunks and Goten would have some support in their matches, promising to catch up as soon as he passed the qualifier. A small seed of resentment for her father's earlier actions festered as she thought about it. He purposefully cut Gohan off, leaving him alone… with Videl. It wasn't that she didn't trust Gohan, but Videl was a whole other matter.

Her attention was taken away from her jealous thoughts as she heard the familiar whoops and cheers of fans at sporting events. And a smile found its way to her face as she began to jog forward to see the stadium. It was huge, about the size of a pro-battleball dome. And it was completely full. Her heart thudded with excitement as popular jock-jams pounded almost shaking the ground as the made their way to the top of the stadium, where they'd see the boys fight the best. Mia wasn't sure what kind of training her father had run Trunks through, but her lessons for Goten had been extensive. She only hoped that he was able to remember most of them when he fought.

"What is this shit?" Vegeta asked, a grimace on his face. She turned to see Piccolo had plugged his ears as well, a scowl on his face. She figured with his pointed ears, his heightened sense of hearing was probably being affected by the pounding bass-line.

She laughed seeing the confused faces of everyone except her mother, who seemed to see this as a normal occurrence. "Clearly you've never been to a recent human sporting event," Mia chuckled as they settled against the railing. Vegeta shot his daughter an odd look as she continued, "It's a jock-jam. Most sporting events play them to get the audience pumped. And if you look, you can probably see some moshing." She pointed to a group close to the ring on one side that was throwing their hands up and jumping almost in sync with the music.

"It's annoying," Piccolo commented, which Vegeta nodded his agreement to.

Mia shrugged as the music faded out. The group focused down to the ring floor where the blonde man from earlier stepped out, mic in hand. "IS EVERYONE READY TO GET THIS TOURNAMENT STARTED!?!?!?!" he called out into the mic with dramatic flair, earning raucous cheers in response. "ALRIGHT! LET'S GET GOING ON THE JUNIOR COMPETITION!!! We've got ten-million zeni for the winner, and five million zeni for the runner up! Not to mention the winner of this year's tournament gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fight in an exhibition match with the World Champion, MR. SATAN!!!!!" There was louder raucous cheers this time, some people chanting for Mr. Satan. "So! Let's get him out here! I present to you our World Champion and savior, MR. SATAN!!!!" the blonde man finished, making a sweeping gesture to the ring entrance, where the famed hero came sprinting out with fog machines whirring out smoke and fireworks shooting off the roof of the main building. His cape flapped behind him as Hercule sprung up to skip walking up the stairs. Siyaka bit her index knuckle as Hercule made an attempt at a flip, which failed spectacularly as his heels landed on his cape, throwing him back causing him to land head first on the marble tiles. He wasn't moving as his adoring fans continued to cheer for him obliviously.

Mia chuckled, muttering to her Mom, "That was absolutely beautiful." Siyaka nodded as she held back a laugh. As people continued to cheer, Mia added, "Do you think they'll notice he isn't moving?"

It was then the blonde announcer turned to see Mr. Satan on the ground and asked, "Uh, Mr. Satan? Are you ok?" The tournament audience gained a hushed muteness as they awaited their hero's recovery from his blunder.

After a minute of silent worrying, Hercule sat up almost robotically, his face blank before he broke into a wide grin. "I'M JOKING!!!!" he announced, his fists positioned on his hips as if to show off his tough-guy demeanor. The cheers picked up as he continued his un-injured façade.

The announcer gave a forced laugh. "Aw, Champ. You're hilarious!" Mia let out a sigh as the announcer began to question the champion about the match with the Junior Champion, getting the general hype up.

She spun, leaning casually against the railing as she looked back at the group. "So, I've got a question." When she was only greeted with confused frowns, she continued, jutting a thumb at Kakarot, "We've got a dead guy here, right?" She added in a small voice to him, "No offense." Goku shrugged blankly, as if he didn't know there was an offense to be taken. "How is that possible?" she asked with a frown, "And why doesn't anyone think this is odd?"

Everyone gave her the same look until Siyaka piped in, "I was actually about to ask the same thing. No other Saiyan has been able to come back to life before."

Vegeta frowned as he looked at his ex and daughter. "I've died and come back to life, as has everyone else here."

Krillin nodded, blandly adding, "Me twice."

Both of the Saiyan ladies frowned. "How?" Mia asked.

"Has Gohan really not told you about the dragonballs?" Vegeta asked, arms crossed as he eyed his daughter carefully.

"What the hell are dragonballs?" Mia asked in confusion.

Simultaneously, Siyaka's eyes widened as she stated, "I thought those were just a myth."

"No, they're very real," Piccolo replied with a smirk. "We have them here on Earth, as well as my home planet."

"And they've successfully revived every single one of you?" Siyaka clarified, stepping forward. The rest of the group nodded their answer, leaving Mia standing there lost.

Mia scowled, feeling ignored. She stomped her foot impatiently and huffed. "Again I ask, what the hell are dragonballs?"

"They're a set of magical balls that when collected grant the user any wish," Siyaka replied calmly, an uneasy frown settling over her features. Her coal black eyes locked with Vegeta's, taking him in almost a new light. "But that doesn't explain a few things –" she started.

"Oh," Kakarot interrupted, almost childishly, "well, I actually wasn't brought back by the balls today. Fortune Teller Baba is able to bring people back from Otherworld for twenty-four hours, which she usually reserves for her fortune telling tournaments."

The Saiyan lady nodded, still frowning at the prince. "That actually wasn't what I was confused about."

Vegeta smirked, as if he were reading her mind like he used to. "You're wondering if I'm here, where are Raditz and Nappa?" he asked with a chuckle, a cold chill running down Siyaka's spine as he asked it. Her intense gaze didn't waiver from the Prince's as he laughed. "Well, Raditz met his end at the hands of Piccolo and Kakarot after he kidnapped Gohan." Siyaka's eyes flew wide at hearing the fate of her closest childhood friend. She did her best to hide the feeling of having her gut punched, knocking the wind out of her as Vegeta continued, "And Nappa's incompetence in battle caused him to have his spine broken by Kakarot, rendering him paralyzed. Killing him was a mercy."

Siyaka looked to the others in the group, only to see them looking down awkwardly, telling her Vegeta was being honest. Her lower lip quivered as she tried to control her emotions. These were her childhood friends. Her teammates. And Vegeta talked about their deaths so callously. A part of her knew that he was trying to make her feel bad for what she did to him. He wasn't one to just let go and forgive something. Never had been really. "And they were never revived because …?" she asked, clearing her voice.

Piccolo gave her a sympathetic look as he replied, "When they died, they were evil. Hell bent on destroying the planet."

Vegeta scoffed at the old God's answer. "They weren't evil, necessarily. Just weak, not worth the wish." His comment received several odd looks from the group.

Siyaka couldn't withhold the contempt in her glare at her old lover. What happened to him? He's not the same Vegeta I knew, she realized. "Careful," she warned the prince in a low voice, her voice cracking around the lump in her throat. His glare lessened a little, almost looking surprised. "You're starting to sound an awful lot like Frieza." He jerked his chin up at that, returning her hurt glare with his own indignant one. She turned to the rest of the group, and said a small, "Excuse me." With that she turned on her heel and flew off.

"W-wait!" Krillin called after her, when Mia raised her hand in a halting motion.

"Just leave her alone," Mia ordered calmly, cutting a disapproving scowl to her father. "It's not often you find out someone you cared about is gone for good."

Vegeta returned his daughter's disappointed look with an angry frown of his own. "Are you questioning me?" he asked dangerously.

Mia scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning comfortably against the railing. "No, not questioning. Just realizing why Gohan told me you were a bit of a dick," she replied nonchalantly, causing Vegeta's face to fall. She rolled her eyes and added with a smirk, "It was a bit of an understatement, really." Goku's and Krillin's eyes went wide at the tit for tat. But Mia didn't care about the public forum. No one hurt her mother.

Vegeta was livid. No one disrespects me. Especially not my own daughter! "You listen here …" he snapped, taking a step forward, leaning over her.

"No, you listen," Mia spat back with a growl. He flinched when the spittle hit his face. And her glare was so much like his mother's it was unnerving. "For almost eighteen years I've heard stories about my father, the noble Prince Vegeta. Only to finally meet you and see the stories have been grossly exaggerated."

"You need a few lessons in manners."

Mia smirked as she quipped, "Well, you've made it clear my incivility comes honestly."

Vegeta balled up his shaking fist. "Why you…"

"Pipe down!" Piccolo snapped loudly, causing both royals to freeze. "This isn't the time for your family squabble. Trunks is up."

Vegeta huffed, looking away from his daughter first. He'd handle her later, but Piccolo was right. Now was not the time. But to be honest, if this is what raising a teenage daughter was, he wanted no part in it. At least Kakarot's eldest shows respect for his superiors. He took a few steps away from the group to watch his son's first fight.

Mia gave a derisive snort at her father's retreat and turned towards the ring. Krillin let out an awkward whistle as he turned to see the short fight. While Goku let out a cheer for the young Saiyan, Mia watched the boy carefully. She knew being mostly trained by her father, her brother would have the same techniques as Vegeta, and possibly a similar style. Also deep in her heart, she could feel a pang of jealousy, but her mind tried to deflect it best at her father. It wasn't the purple-haired boy's fault they shared the same father. And even though she felt the familial pull to hope he'd win the tournament, she felt it more for Goten as her student.

The fight didn't take long. The blond headed kid was knocked out before you could count to three. The announcer ran over to check him as Trunks waltzed over to the ring entrance as he was declared winner.

"Wow…" Krillin muttered with a frown. "How … anticlimactic."

The group remained silent as the next few fights went, until Goten's turn came up. Mia eyed her student's opponent, noticing he looked strikingly similar to the boy Trunks had beaten. Even though he had chestnut brown hair, it was cut in the same exact mullet, which was odd, as it wasn't a popular haircut for good reason. And seeing it on two boys in one place? Not to mention they had been wearing the same outfit. It was almost like déjà vu.

"Wow, look at him. He looks like a miniature you, Goku," Krillin chuckled, a nostalgic gleam in his eyes.

Goku scratched his head with a grin. "Thanks."

Mia shrugged. "Genetically speaking it was bound to happen. Gohan looks so much like ChiChi, except you know, bone structure," she stated offhandedly. She didn't notice she garnered everyone's attention, as she was mostly thinking out-loud to herself. "Now, Trunks is the one I can't figure out. How in the hell did he get blue eyes. It's not even a saiyan gene."

"You aren't even curious about how he got purple hair?" 18 commented with a scoff, her blue eyes trained on the princess.

Mia frowned. "That's a good point too. Both black hair and dark eyes are dominant traits in humans, and are the only traits in Saiyans. At the very least his hair would have been a mixture of Bulma and Vegeta's hair colors."

As Vegeta cleared his throat to change the conversation, Siyaka touched back down, her eyes tinged red from tears that she refused to show the group as she forced a smile on her face. "What did I miss?" she asked, directing her question to Mia.

Her daughter shrugged. "Other than Goten and Trunks beating their first opponents, we are discussing the genetic anomaly that is Trunks."

Siyaka frowned, ignoring her ex's frustrated harrumph behind her. "What do you mean?"

"Blue eyes and purple hair, which should be recessive," Mia stated. She added in a small note to herself, "Maybe it's something on Chromasome 19, which is where hair color and eye color are located in humans. Maybe Saiyans don't have the same coloring markers, making the human genes dominant."

Siyaka blinked at her daughter's fast paced thinking, and laughed, "You're blabbering."

Mia's dark eyes shot up to her mother in an innocent look. "Right," she mumbled, turning back to the ring. "Make a note for later. We're here to watch children pummel each other into the dirt."

There was a long pause as they settled into the groove of the tournament, which was impossibly dull fighting-wise. The time passed with the awkward tense feelings hanging in the air as Goten and Trunks slowly made their way to the Children's Championship Finals. Siyaka's gaze drifted to Vegeta occasionally, only to flit back to the ring when he'd fidget uncomfortably. As the blonde announcer called Goten and Trunks out as the finalists, Mia let out a long huff, looking around the stands. "What's taking Gohan so long? He should be here by now."

Krillin shrugged noncommittally with a smile as he chuckled. "Maybe he and that Videl girl are …" he trailed off awkwardly as he sensed Mia's glare on him at even the suggestion. "Uh… still trying to get through the preliminaries. Vegeta did blow-up the last machine." He laughed uneasily as he scratched his head, avoiding the saiyan teen's scowl.

Mia hissed, turning her focus back to the ring as she mumbled, "Whatever."

The gong sounded over the deafening cheers for the kids, signaling the start of the fight. The boys sprung at each other, fists ready to fly. They moved too fast to see who threw the first punch, but they seemed to go all out early, and evenly matched. When Trunks would kick, Goten would dodge. When Goten would punch, Trunks would parry and cause Goten to lose his balance for a second. They danced around the stage with grace most children their age couldn't even dream of. Mia tapped a finger against the banister on edge, watching her student fight her brother. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her father doing the same thing against his forearm, watching his son with bared teeth. A part of her was jarred by the similarity in behavior, but was brought back to the fight when they launched apart only to fly back together a good five or six feet above the stage.

"Whoa," Krillin breathed, "they're amazing."

Mia agreed a little, but a part of her had started to notice flaws in her brother's technique. Flaws that would have given Goten the upper hand, if he'd just exploit them. Trunks was cocky and left himself open for attack in some places, but still had the tenacity to go for the win. Meanwhile, Goten just seemed to be fighting for fun.

The sound of pounding footsteps stole her attention away as Gohan and Videl came running towards the group. Mia's expression fell to a frown as her gaze settled on Videl. Doesn't she have somewhere else to be? "Sorry it took us so long," Gohan breathed roughly. "The new machine took forever to calibrate, so we only just finished the preliminaries. What've we missed?"

"Not much," Krillin answered. "Both Trunks and Goten are fighting pretty well."

"Yeah. If we don't watch it, they'll be stronger than us, soon," Kakarot joked. "Just look at them go!"

Gohan moved to stand behind Mia, watching over her shoulder. "How's he doing?" he asked, knowing Mia was watching more as Goten's mentor than Trunks's sister or friend.

Mia chewed on her lip as she eyed the younger Son boy's moves. "He's fighting like they're sparring, not like it's an actual match. He's not seizing openings in Trunks's defense he should." She clicked her tongue against her teeth, adding, "That'll be something we'll have to work on."

Gohan frowned at her assessment, watching the fight unfold. "Is it that bad?"

"Yes," Mia replied, not looking at her boyfriend.

"So, you're routing for Kakarot's youngest?" Vegeta commented, drawing his daughter's attention. Her onyx gaze meeting his own dark withered gaze.

"He's my student. So, yeah," Mia answered plainly, returning to the fight in time to see Trunks trick Goten into attacking an after-image, and with a solid kick sent him flying towards the stands for a ring-out. Mia's shoulders dropped with a scowl as she watched her student forget his training. "Come on, Goten. We went over flip-turns." Just as he almost hit the stands, he flipped, stopping his momentum in an instant and regaining his control over his flight. Mia let out a relieved sigh, leaning away from the bar and crossing her arms. "Clearly, we've got more to go over."

"Gohan, why didn't you train Goten?" Kakarot piped in, eyeing the teens curiously.

Mia smiled sardonically as Gohan shifted uncomfortably. "W-well, I wanted too…"

"He was training me, sir," Videl spoke up, a little proudly.

Krillin shifted his gaze to the teens warily as Kakarot frowned in confusion. "Oh," he breathed cluelessly. Mia could tell in Kakarot's gaze that he still wasn't sure why that meant Gohan wasn't training Goten. Gohan was too busy blushing under Krillin's discerning looks to completely explain himself.

"Videl is one of Gohan's friends from school," Mia answered for her boyfriend, choosing her words carefully as she garnered the full attention of the group, away from the fight as Goten and Trunks began ascending into the air higher and higher. "She found out Gohan and I were her superhero competition around Satan City, and she …" the princess paused, a mirthful smirk splaying across her lips as she jabbingly added to the Champion's daughter, "would you call it 'blackmail'?" Videl opened her mouth to defend herself, but Mia cut her off as she continued, "Yeah, blackmailed us into teaching her to fly and fighting in the tournament.

"When she refused to be taught by me, Gohan took her on as a student, and I took on Goten."

Videl crossed her arms dejectedly as she grumbled, "Well, yeah. Why be taught by the student when the master is available?"

Mia scoffed. "Gohan did not teach me how to fly." A loud explosion sounded, causing a blinding light to flash around the stadium. The boys sprang apart, falling back to opposite ends of the ring in an old fashioned stand-off. They shifted around each other before Trunks held his hands out in a splayed form, two balls of yellow energy forming before he slapped them together, forming a large energy beam.

"What is he doing!?" Gohan gasped. "There's way too many people here for energy blasts!"

"Don't worry. The kid's got it," Siyaka piped in, watching her ex's son closely.

Goten dodged the beam with relative ease, forcing Trunks to flick his wrists, sending the beam up towards the sky. The ki blast whistled as it rocketed out of the stadium into the atmosphere, then stratosphere. The boys seemed to be laughing, sharing in a joke before Goten held out a hand before a small golden white ball of energy formed. It contracted then grew, contracted then grew until it was about the size of his head.

"What is that?" Krillin asked with a frown, looking at Gohan.

Mia smiled proudly. At least her student was using one of her better moves. "It's called Chaos Bomb," she replied. "Let's just say Trunks will have difficulty dodging this blast."

Vegeta scowled at the ring. "Chaos Bomb. Why does that sound familiar?"

"It was one of my father's moves," Siyaka replied, a scowl of her own on her face. Hers aimed at Mia. "It's one of his techniques that's supposed to be a family secret." Mia shrugged as the bomb went off, bursting into multiple ki balls hovering around a blue ki nucleus. Goten threw the blast like a ball at Trunks, and it hovered between them for a second before the nucleus shot out, hitting Trunks in the shoulder unexpectedly with a small blast causing him to stumble back. Like a freshly aggravated bee hive, the rest of the ki balls began to vibrate and buzz before flying after the purple-haired saiyan. Trunks sprung up, flying away from the ring and the ki balls flying after him.

Vegeta turned sharply to his daughter, fists clenched as he snapped, "You taught him General Jicama's ki splitting technique!?"

"Ki what?" Kakarot asked, confusion etched on his face.

"Yes. I taught him how to split ki," Mia answered challengingly. Siyaka's mouth opened to reprimand her daughter, but Mia interrupted her quickly, "And before you ask, no. I didn't teach him that move."

Vegeta glowered at his daughter, turning away from her in a huff sourly. "No, you just gave him the building blocks for it."

"Uh, I'm a little lost here," Krillin spoke up. "What's ki splitting?"

Siyaka crossed her arms, still scowling at her daughter. "Ki splitting is a technique my father created, using the different kis in their purest forms for attacks and flight."

Piccolo frowned, eyeing the saiyan noblewoman speculatively. "What do you mean different kis?" he asked gruffly. "It was my understanding that one's ki was one's own."

Siyaka nodded. "Yes, but within each person there is positive ki and negative ki. Peaceful and destructive. If you can split them to their purest form, positive ki allows better controlled flight and even minor healing if another's ki stores are depleted, only if you've mastered ki infusion, which leads to a whole other slew of techniques. Whereas negative ki creates blasts that essentially don't need a controlling entity.

"See," she continued, pointing to the Chaos Bomb still flying after Trunks, with Goten not moving or providing any direction, "The Chaos Bomb is a blast of pure destructive ki. Once it's set off, it homes in on the positive ki signature that the nucleus attacks."

Krillin turned to the ki blast in question, still following Trunks closely, and gaining on him. "S-so what you're saying is it's like a homing missile?"

"Yes," the Jicamas and Vegeta replied unanimously.

Trunks spun, flying backwards as he shot off a few ki blasts to lose some of the Chaos Bomb's ki balls. Loud explosions sounded, surrounding the purple-haired saiyan with smoke. Any visibility of Mia's little brother was gone, but more explosions sounded as Trunks let out a pained yelp. Almost like a cannonball, he was shot from the smoke cloud, flying towards the stands. Several people screamed, running out of the way of the plummeting eight-year old. Trunks let out a yell, powering up and letting his ki flair around him, his hair going gold as he stopped himself, hovering a few feet away from the stands.

"Woah! He's a super saiyan!?" Kakarot gasped as Trunks righted himself, gliding back to the center of the ring and dropping his transformation. Goten stood scowling across from him, looking cheated. "How!? When!?"

Mia matched her student's stance, grumbling, "That was cheap."

"No less cheap than teaching Goten that move," Vegeta replied with a huff.

"Actually, it was, since everyone agreed not to go Super Saiyan on the flight over," Mia argued haughtily. Then she smiled mirthfully as she added, antagonizing, "That's right. You weren't there."

"No Super Saiyan?" Vegeta clarified. "I never agreed to that."

"I missed something! When did Trunks go Super Saiyan?" Kakarot interjected, a little annoyed. But he was ignored.

"Well, it's too bad you weren't there to voice your opinion," Siyaka sighed, shooting Vegeta a pointed glare, who looked as if he was ready to knock some heads. "And Yes, Kakarot. They both can."

"Both?" he asked, his wide eyes turning to the ring to look at his youngest son. "Wow. What is it with this generation?"

Trunks touched back down, his eyes surveying his best friend and the ring, trying to formulate the best plan of attack. "You cheated!" Goten called out, pointing at the purple-haired eight year-old.

Trunks shrugged nonchalantly as he responded, "Yeah. But come on. You wouldn't want the fight to end like that, would ya? It was just getting interesting." He chewed the inside of his cheek as he wondered exactly where Goten could've learned such a move. His father definitely would have warned him about it had he known. _Maybe my sis- … Mia taught him…_ "By the way, where'd you learn a move like that? It wasn't one of Gohan's, I don't think."

Goten grinned cheekily. "I'm not telling."

Trunks smirked, putting on a front. "Well if that's all you got, then I'm sorry to say, but I've already won." It wasn't true. Trunks was sure he couldn't outrun another blast like that. But Goten was so gullible, maybe he wouldn't try it a second time if Trunks bluffed.

Goten smirked playfully back at his best friend. "We'll see about that!"

Something flickered in the youngest Son's eyes that told Trunks he was in for it. Trunks leaped forward, assaulting Goten with a series of punches and kicks. Goten parried back, blocking most of his blows. Trunks stepped back, shooting a small energy blast at his friend, causing Goten to take to the skies in a quick jump. Goten hovered there for a bit before taking a nosedive towards the ring. "Here I come!" he announced, laughing. Trunks watched, waiting for his moment to move. If he didn't time it right, Goten could fix himself. Just moments before Goten would crash, Trunks dove to the side out of the way. Goten did a quick flip, landing on his toes and stopping his movement in an instant, swinging a hand around with a prepared Chaos Bomb ready to fire. He threw it, and the nucleus zoomed out, hitting Trunks again in shock, causing the purple-haired saiyan to halt, just before being bombarded with small ki blasts that sent him unconsciously flying out of the ring. The stadium erupted into cheers.

He couldn't believe it. Goten actually won.

Chronoa stood over the altered time scroll, twisting a pink lock of hair nervously. Trunks shook his head nervously. "This isn't right," he declared. "I was … I mean younger me was supposed to win that tournament."

"Don't you think I know that?!" the Supreme Kai of Time snapped, still twisting her lock of hair. It wasn't just that it wasn't right. It didn't make sense. Goten was on the good side. How would giving him heightened power in any way help Demigra or his partners, Mira and Towa?

"Do you think Demigra had anything to do with this change?" Trunks asked.

Something about that conclusion just didn't feel right to Chronoa. From the lack of dark energy around the scroll to Goten getting the power-up. It just didn't make sense for either Demigra or Mira and Towa's MO. But at the same time she couldn't just dismiss a change in the timeline, no matter how minor. She tapped her finger nervously on the table. "Where's your partner?"

Trunks frowned. "We found a potential alteration with Spopavitch and Yamu this morning. So he's at the tournament to intercept. Why?"

"Tell him to hold off," she ordered, chewing on the inside of her lip.

"Ma'am?"

"I want him to stay back, and make a record of everything that happens," she ordered again. "Something doesn't feel right about this. But I just can't put my finger on it." When Trunks didn't move immediately, she shooed him away.

As he left the Scroll Temple, he made a call through his inter-time/space communicator. "Come in. Can you hear me?"

"Yes," a gruff voice huffed over the static line.

"Madam Kai wants you to hold off on any further interactions in the tournament."

There was silence over the line before the voice asked, "Did she say why?"

"Goten wasn't supposed to win the Junior Division," Trunks answered grievously.

The voice let out a bark of a laugh. "She wants me to stop a mission based on your wounded pride?"

"My pride isn't wounded, Asshole."

"Ri-ight."

"Look, it's an alteration in the timeline. It may seem minute, but Mira and Towa have managed to make the biggest differences with just the smallest change. So, you should take it seriously!" Trunks snapped. Sometimes, his Time Patrol partner was a real pain in the ass.

"Keep your shirt on, Princess. I'll investigate it."

Trunks gritted his teeth at the "Princess" comment, but decided to hold his tongue. "You'll give us a full report once they fly off for Buu, right?"

"Yes."

Trunks let out a sigh. "Alright. Good luck, Bardock."

"Luck is for weaklings," the older saiyan replied back before cutting off the line. Bardock wasn't one to really say goodbye anyway. He scratched his head as his eyes fell on his young grandson standing in the middle of the ring, getting ready to go against the "World Champion." As he sat in the stands, he stewed in his thoughts. _It's only a matter of time now._ "Fucking Hell," he breathed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I think I ate too much," Kakarot complained, rubbing his stomach as the group left the champions' buffet to get their slots.

"You know, most people don't eat before a big fight," Krillin replied smartly, a small mirthful smile on his face. "Maybe you should try it." Goku stuck out his tongue as if the idea was boring. Siyaka chuckled at the younger saiyan's childish antics.

"I don't understand how you Saiyans can eat so much, anyway. It's disgusting," Piccolo groused, greener than usual.

Siyaka raised an eyebrow at the namekian. "Well, not every warrior race has evolved chlorophyll in their skin." Piccolo glowered at the Saiyan noble.

There was amicable silence until Videl asked, "What's a Saiyan?"

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with," Mia replied with a patronizing smile, her arm territorially looped with Gohan's as they walked the span between the buffet and the Fighter's waiting area, where they would draw lots for the tournament. Gohan fidgeted uncomfortably, not used to a woman clinging to his arm. Mia didn't usually hang on him, but Videl's presence made her more on edge than usual, which he still didn't understand. Mia knew they were only friends.

The group suddenly slowed to a stop in front of two strangers with pointed ears. One was tall with reddish pink wrinkled skin and long white hair. He wore red robes tied closed with an orange sash, and teal pants underneath. The other was short with fair purple skin and a striking white mohawk. He was dressed similarly as his taller companion, but his robes were navy. He looked young, but his eyes held an unnaturally old spirit and wisdom. It took Mia a minute to realize the younger one was actually floating a half foot off the ground with well-practiced control. He spoke first. "You wouldn't be Son Goku, by any chance, would you?" he asked, although it sounded like he already knew the answer.

Kakarot gave a small frown. "Uhm, yes?"

The purple stranger's smile was peaceful. "Wonderful. I was beginning to worry I wouldn't be able to meet you before the tournament."

Kakarot still frowned. "Uhm, how do you know my name?"

"Oh, tales of your battles have spanned the universe. See, we've traveled very far to meet you, and I was hoping to see if the legends were true," his tone was so eerily peaceful and nonchalant, it threw Mia off. He added a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes right as he added, "You could say I'm you're biggest fan."

"Oh," Kakarot chirped, "Thanks."

"Goku, may I shake your hand?" The question was odd, but the man already had his hand outstretched waiting for Kakarot to reciprocate the gesture.

Kakarot blinked away his confusion before grabbing the proffered hand. "Yeah, of course." As they shook hands, the purple stranger's eerie smile grew to his eyes.

"Thank you. You're as brave as everyone says you are," he added unsettlingly, causing Kakarot to let go and look at his hand oddly. The purple man dropped his feet to the ground, gave a slight bow with his hand over his chest as he said a small, "Good day." He then turned with his companion to leave without any remaining words or comments.

"What the hell was that?" Mia asked unceremoniously, breaking the silent hold over the group. Siyaka scowled, looking to their groupmates for answers. However, they seemed as clueless as the saiyan women.

Gohan shrugged, muttering a small, "I dunno."

Piccolo stepped close to Kakarot, saying in a hushed tone, "I don't like it. There's something off about those two."

"Yeah, no doubt," Kakarot muttered, still looking at his hand oddly. He dropped it to his side with a smile as he asked, "Well, isn't that the point? Coming together to find and overcome the unexpected challenge?"

"You're way too blasé about this, Kakarot." Even Vegeta was irked by their presence. No one was going to get in between his fight with Kakarot.

"Maybe," the younger saiyan laughed at his rival's discomfort, making his way to the waiting area. Mia agreed with her father. Gohan's father was too blasé for his own good.

The group followed Kakarot into the waiting area, seeing most of the other fighters already there. Mia suppressed the urge to vomit seeing two sickeningly pale men at the edge of the arena, their heads bald and veiny sporting a large curvy "M" for all to see. They had rings under their beady eyes and their arms were twitchy, agitated. They wore black, one in puffy black pants with a purple belt, and the other, larger, man in a black leotard that left nothing to the imagination. Mia looked away, repulsed by the larger man, wishing he'd at least thought to wear a modesty cup. As her gaze drifted around the room, to see a man with very short arms and legs, and a freakishly long torso, wearing a belted toga and sea green masked hood. He seemed to throw his arms and legs around as if unused to their movement, and Mia could only guess he was unhinged as he seemed to talk to himself … a lot. There was a large Indian man who smiled smugly at the others around him, clearly thinking he had the tournament in the bag. He couldn't be further from the truth. And lastly were the two strangers from earlier.

Mia wasn't sure what to think about the group assembled. She knew she was far from the strongest in their group alone. Her own mother had her beat several times over. And she couldn't speak to the strength of anyone else, other than Gohan and Videl, and even Gohan, not fully. What she knew was that Gohan defeated Cell, and even though he never showed her that power, she knew it was immense. Kakarot defeated Frieza before that, as well as he defeated her father. Chichi often talked about how he even won the last tournament that they participated in, the one they were married at nineteen years ago. Clearly, that made him one of the strongest contenders here. Then there was 18, who Gohan had said was an android engineered to have limitless power, which made her a little more intimidating than most of their team. Mia was only certain on one thing going into the tournament, Hercule would not named be champion this year.

"Oh! You're here!" the blond announcer called cheerily, waving to their group. He returned to his list quickly, ticking their names off as he muttered, "Alright. Now all we need is Mr. Satan, and we can start." Almost as if on cue, an attendant came running up to the announcer and whispered something in his ear, causing the announcer's face to fall in confusion. "Uh, yeah sure," he said blandly to the older man before addressing the group of fighters. "Apparently, Mr. Satan is indisposed at the moment, and has asked us to start without him. When I call your name, you will come up here and grab a ball with a number, which will determine which fight you are in. Sooooo, LET'S GET STARTED!" he cheered the last bit, a fist in the air. No one cheered back, but that didn't lessen the announcer's excited spirit. "Alright! Let's get started with 18!" The fem-fatale android stepped forward, her hands in her pockets in a cool manner. As she stepped up to the box, the announcer gave her a coy smile as he asked, "Is '18' your real name?"

She blinked at him boredly, before replying blatantly, "My father wasn't really known for his creativity." She reached into the box, pulling out a green ball, which she flicked at the flustered announcer. "Now I'm number nine." She didn't wait for his response before quickly stepping back to join her husband and the group.

The announcer transferred the information to the tournament attendants who wrote her name on the board. "Next is Siyaka Jicama," he called out. The saiyan noblewoman stepped forward, a hand on her hip as she walked towards the box. Wordlessly, she reached in, pulling out another green ball. "I'll be number six," she stated softly, handing the ball to the announcer. He nodded, taking the ball from her.

"Kabito?" the announcer called.

"Yes," the reddish pink stranger called out, stepping forward. The group watched him in earnest, hoping to glean any information they could off of what little he said. The man reached into the box, but oddly acted like he already knew which position he would be in as he pulled out the green ball and said, "I'm number eight." The announcer took the ball, repeating Kabito for the attendants.

"Next is Krillin."

Krillin let out a puff of air, clasping his hands together as he prayed, "I don't ask for much. Just don't make me go first. And don't make me fight my friends."

Piccolo laughed at the shorter man's prayer. "You know that's not how this works."

Krillin scowled at the namekian. "Well, it doesn't hurt to try." He let out another slow breath as he stepped forward, reaching into the box. "Alright, good number," he breathed as he pulled the ball out seeing a large "16" printed on it. "Oh no," he grumbled, crestfallen.

"Mighty Mask." The announcer was met with silence, causing him to look up from the list in confusion. "Mighty Mask?" His eyes fell on the man with a toga and hooded mask and he frowned. Clearly he was just wasting time. "Mighty Mask, if you're here, please come forward, or you will be disqualified." He pronounced every syllable of the last word sharply, driving his point into the word.

The toga man turned awkwardly, putting a cartoonishly large gloved hand over his long thin chest, as if to ask, "Who? me?" The announcer nodded in annoyance. The small man ran up, his movements awkward, as he muttered in an overtly cartoony deep voice, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," the announcer replied brightly, shining his famous gleaming smile. "Now, draw a good number."

"Sure." Mighty Mask reached his disproportionate, gloved hand into the box, pulling out a green ball. "Lucky number … thirteen!" His feet seemed to jump underneath him, causing his upper half to wobble oddly before he awkwardly made his way back to his corner.

The announcer looked at the odd, hooded fighter worriedly. "Ri-ight. Next is Piccolo."

The namekian stepped forward stoically, reaching into the box. He pulled out a clashing green ball in his sharp-nailed hands. "I got number three." He frowned. So far, no match ups. As he made his way back to the group, Vegeta moved to lean against the back wall. He wasn't going to be called until the end anyway, if they kept going alphabetically. Siyaka, Kakarot and Hercule moved because of their last names taking precedents, which Vegeta didn't have. As much as he loved his wife, at least before he knew about her betrayal, taking an Earth name, especially one like Briefs, felt wrong.

"Pintar."

The large Indian man made his way to the box, pulling out a green ball. "Fifteen."

Krillin perked up. The last match was decided, and he would be fighting Pintar. He grinned excitedly. "That's my opponent!? Thank god!"

The large Indian man scowled at the little buddhist, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You better watch it, Small-fry. You won't last a minute in the ring with me!"

Krillin smirked. "You want to put money on that bet?"

Pintar growled, shifting his body to attack Krillin, only to be interrupted by the announcer. "Now, now you two. There'll be plenty of time for that in the ring."

Pintar scowled, spitting on the ground before turning to return to his spot in the waiting area. The announcer frowned disappointedly at the offending spit on the ground. "Nice," he grumbled to himself. "Next up, Saiyagirl!"

Mia stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. She let out a calming breath as she stepped up to the box, her nerves racking through her body. As excited as she was to be here, this was still going to be her first big fight with someone who knew how to fight, that wasn't sparring. She reached into the box, feeling around the box for a number that felt right. She pulled out a green ball and frowned. "I'm number two," she breathed, half fretfully. While she usually liked to go first in the classroom, she was not in a hurry for this just yet. She walked back, chewing on her lip nervously.

Gohan placed an easing hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. You got this." Mia smiled back at her boyfriend, feeling better with his support.

"Saiyaman!"

Gohan gave her shoulder a squeeze before he stepped forward, leaving her with the group. He reached in, just as nervous as Mia, but more about his identity being revealed during a fight, rather than not matching up with a good opponent. He pulled out a ball, reading it carefully. "I'm number seven." He looked to the board, seeing his name being written next to Kabito. His gaze shifted to the reddish pink stranger nervously.

He felt his father's hand clap onto his shoulder. "Try not to worry too much. He may be big, but a true warrior fights with his mind."

"Right," Gohan breathed. "With the mind."

As Kakarot pulled his son away from the box, the announcer stated, "And since Mr. Satan couldn't be here, I'll be drawing for him." He smiled as he pulled out the green ball, announcing, "Ten goes to Mr. Satan!"

"18! You get to fight Mr. Satan!" Krillin said with glee. "How come you get all the luck."

18 gave a bored smile as she sighed, "Poor man won't know what hit him."

Videl stepped forward, worry all over her face. "I wouldn't say that lightly. He's pretty dangerous. He did take down Cell." 18 shifted her gaze to Gohan and Mia, as if to ask if Videl was kidding. Mia gestured to not say anything.

"Next is Videl!" the announcer called out, causing Vegeta and Kakarot to look up with a confused frown. Are they already in "V"?

As the young champion's daughter stepped forward, and reached into the box for her placing, she asked the announcer, "Hey, where's my Dad?"

The blond man frowned, nonchalantly replying, "Mr. Satan needed to rest in between bouts."

Kakarot's frown dropped into a gape. "Woah, woah, woah. Did she say Mr. Satan is her FATHER!?"

Siyaka smirked as her daughter quipped, "Say it louder. I don't think they heard you in the main arena."

Krillin eyed Videl with a furrowed brow as he crossed his arms. "Is that why you've been censoring what we say all day, Gohan?"

Gohan couldn't reply to his father's childhood friend's remark. Just mumble an unintelligible, "Uhm."

"MIA!" Videl called out, garnering the attention of the group as a green ball came flying to the saiyan princess's head. Mia caught it deftly in one hand, then lowered it to look at it. As soon as she saw the number on the ball, she began to vibrate with excitement. Thirteen years. After thirteen years of pushing down her instincts to pummel the rich girl into the ground, she was finally getting her chance. Mia looked up at Videl, mirroring her smirk. Her fate was sealed as soon as she invited them to the tournament. And that made Mia grin bigger.

"What was the number?" the announcer asked curiously.

"One," the girls said in unison.

AN: Hey all, sorry it took me so long to get this out. Motherhood takes up all the extra time I had. However, I should be getting some more time soon, I hope.

And I know, the fight order isn't what everyone was expecting. Shocking!! I got a ton of messages asking how Mia vs Spopavitch was going to turn out, and how Gohan was going to react. But the answer was always no. I've had the tournament laid out like this since I started writing. And I know this chapter didn't have much in it, but the next one is going to be full of nonstop action and intrigue. Big things are happening in the next few chapters. I'm so happy I'm finally here, moving into the actual meat of the Buu arc. There's going to be a lot of changes in what happened, because of it being an altered timeline, but some of it is going to be the same. I'll let you guess which.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: All DBZ content is owned by Akira Toriyama, Funimation, and Toei Animation.

Chapter 12

The Things We Said

The pulse of the audience's cheers thrummed through her veins, blood pumping adrenaline through her humming body. She'd waited for this moment for so long. She couldn't help reveling in the feeling of finality in the moment. Like the closing of a book or the finale of a show. Her life leading up to this moment when things would be tied close into a neat little bow. The excitement for this moment amped her mind and muscles.

"You can't kill her," Siyaka breathed in her daughter's ear, like an advising confidant.

It brought Mia down a little from her hyped state. "I know, Mom," Mia sighed. That didn't mean she was any less excited for justice to finally be served. Thirteen years. Her whole life had been leading her to this moment. Staring at the champion's daughter with excited glee was probably too much, but Videl was sizing her up similarly.

"Just making sure you do," Siyaka said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall next to the ring entrance. "You tend to take things a little far, like someone else I know." Mia's gaze flitted away from Videl for a second to her father, and she smiled as she realized he was probably feeling the same way. He looked as amped as she felt. She knew why, too. Gohan frequently talked about how their fathers were bitter rivals. They were in the sixth match, but Mia and Videl would settle things in the first.

Gohan leaned to her awkwardly as he asked, "You wouldn't actually hurt her, would you?"

Mia scowled at him, taking in his worried face through his mask. "We're in a match, Gohan."

"I know but …" he trailed off, trying to find the right words. Mia began to scowl at her boyfriend. "You wouldn't be excessive, right?" Mia's eyes fell from his. She wasn't going to promise him something she couldn't hold herself to. She wasn't going to lie that she felt she finally was able to lay out thirteen years of repressed anger and hurt, and that meant Videl could get hurt more than he deemed appropriate. He tried to get her to look in his eyes, "Right?"

She refused to look at him. "If you knew what you were asking …" she breathed, a lump in her throat.

He grabbed her hand with his, his other hand lifting her head under her chin. "Please tell me you won't beat her too hard." His worried gaze was hard to resist. His eyes searched hers for an answer she couldn't give him though. She stood on her toes to meet his lips in a quick kiss.

She pulled away as she felt his mind start to link to hers, and she whispered, "I'm sorry, but I can't promise that."

"Mia," he breathed, disappointment in his tone as she stepped away, finding her place next to Videl behind the sign.

Videl smirked at her, which Mia tried her best to ignore. "Relationship troubles?" When Mia didn't answer, Videl laughed. "Maybe Gohan can see reason."

A rage boiled in Mia's core as she mentally repeated a mantra, _Save it for the ring. Save it for the ring._

"Alright, everyone! Who is ready for some amazing fighting!?" the announcer called out to further hype the crowd. The loud cheers answering him caused Mia's heart to pound with excitement.

She balled her fists and smiled. _It's time to cut loose._

"Yeah! Let's get this party started!" the announcer yelled excitedly into the mic. "For the first match, we have the daughter of our World Champion, Videl!" As her name was called, the short-haired brunette stepped out of the shadows of the fighters' area and into the sunlight of the ring. She was answered with loud cheers and a brass band playing a fight song for her. She was clearly the fan favorite to win. Mia smiled ruefully at the thought of winning in spite of Videl's present fan base. "As most of you already know, she won the junior championship four years ago, and now she's grown and ready to try her luck in the adult ring. To keep up her training, she helps keep the Satan City streets clean with the help of the local police! What a gal!" Mia had to hand it to the blond guy, he knew how to make a person look good. Even Mia could hear why the crowd would root for her tormentor. But Mia also knew of Videl's darker side that few outside their school even knew about, and even fewer in their school even cared about.

Videl was already almost to the ring when the announcer added excitedly, "And her opponent is her rival Satan City superhero, and loyal sidekick to the legendary Great Saiyaman, Saiyagirl!" Mia stepped out hearing a few cheers, which was surprising enough. She smiled at the attention, and grinned even bigger as she heard the distinct cheers of Rito, finding him sitting ring-side with the other police officers. It seemed a little surreal, the bottoms of her wedge-heeled boots clacked against the marble tiles of the ring entrance reminding her of where she was, as the announcer continued. "While not much is known about Saiyagirl, she has pulled some amazing feats with the Great Saiyaman, like saving a bus from diving off a cliff to taking down a rampaging pterodactyl. This is her first time ever in a tournament match, so let's hope she can hold her own against the other combatants." Mia ignored the last comment, centering herself on the ring and turning swiftly to see Videl smirking at her. A breeze rolled through the ring, catching Videl's short hair, and Mia's braid and mask ties.

Videl went ahead into a fighting stance, no smack talk required between them, her fists lifted in front of her face as her feet settled her legs into a lunge ready to spring into attack. Mia's smile grew as she settled herself down into the standard saiyan fighting form her mother had taught her since she was a child. A sideways lunge with one hand positioned over her forehead ready to swing a high strike, with her other hand positioned low and slightly curved to the front to either block or quickly follow the high strike with a low one. The cheers as the girls fell into their stances was deafening. It was definitely a fight worth the high priced tickets.

"Aaaaaaand, BEGIN!" the announcer yelled out, followed swiftly by a loud gong.

Videl was first to spring into action, something Mia had hoped for a little. It was always easiest to defend and let the other fighter wear themselves down before attacking. Videl swung a right hook, then a left, both of which Mia blocked with ease, pushing her fists to the side.

"Videl is on the attack! She's leaving Saiyagirl little time to react! But don't count Saiyagirl out just yet!" The crowd roared at the action, pumping more excitement into Mia's veins. Gohan's plea replaying in the back of her mind, _Please don't beat her too hard._ She wanted to please him, but at the same time Videl was too weak.

The champion's daughter continued her punching assault as Mia continued to parry and deflect her blows with ease. A smile found its way to the princess's face as she thought, _If this is all she has, then she is going to lose._ Videl switched to a kick, which Mia blocked, throwing her leg down as Mia stepped back. Videl gave a roundhouse kick towards Mia's head, which Mia lithely ducked away from, throwing her first punch into Videl's gut.

Videl staggered at the shock to her diaphram, gasping for air as Mia stood, smiling over her. Videl let out a growl, swinging her arm out quickly, slapping Mia across the face unexpectedly. Mia's head swung to the side, gloved hand clutching her reddening cheek. The audience's roar diminished to an eerie quiet, as Mia turned to see Videl, the human's wide blue eyes looking at her hand as if it had betrayed her true intentions.

The announcer shifted his gaze between the two girls, speaking into the mic with a hushed tone as he said, "Now, I'm not entirely certain what's going on here, but one thing is certain. Videl and Saiyagirl know each other personally." Mia realized that if her classmates didn't realize her identity yet, they were about to. There weren't many that Videl publicly hated anymore. Mia looked to Gohan who watched from the waiting area with confusion. She mentally apologize for their identities being revealed in this fight, at least to their classmates, but that's all that really mattered anyway.

It was such a girly reaction, Mia almost didn't believe Videl had actually done it except for the stinging in her cheek. But it did solidify one thought in Mia's mind that she hadn't really thought possible. Videl saw herself as the victim between the two of them, and that realization made Mia burn with a fury. Videl had tortured and secluded her for thirteen years for no reason, and still wanted to pretend to claim innocence between the high school psychological warfare between them. Then Mia remembered Videl claimed that Mia had slept with Sharpener in their first year of high school, something that was completely untrue. The princess scowled. "That's why you invited me here!?" she growled.

Videl balled her betraying fist, her other hand still holding her throbbing diaphragm and her blue eyes piercing into Mia's black ones as she gasped, "You don't deserve him!"

Mia was deadly silent, shaking her head with disbelief. "I don't deserve him," Mia scoffed, covering the light lump in her throat. Something snapped in her as she laughed a little louder, "You're saying I don't DESERVE him!?" Again, she mentally apologized to Gohan, but this time it was because Videl lost all the patience Mia was willing to give her in this fight. Mia was done repressing her urges to pummel the champion's daughter into the dirt. But she could show Gohan a fraction of the recompense Mia felt she deserved. She lowered a withering glare onto the champion's daughter. Some things just needed to be said, and she'd been holding onto these truths for too long. "When you've been tormenting me for thirteen years?! When you have treated not just me, but so many others as your lesser for thirteen years!?"

"I am better than you!" Videl rebuffed hautily.

Mia scoffed, "Really? Did you tell Gohan about why you started saving the city in the first place!?"

"That's in the past," Videl tried.

"Really!? Because last I checked, Penn still lost his battleball scholarship because you mangled his arm," Mia snapped back.

"I overreacted, and I paid his medical bills!" Videl defended.

Mia ignored her as she continued, "What did he do again? Say he saw your Dad picking up prostitutes?"

"Well, I never slept with a guy knowing he was with someone else!" Videl snapped, changing the subject and gaining her breath back, her glare matching Mia's.

Mia's body shook with seething rage. "Neither did I!" she yelled back at her, fists balled at her side. Videl began to brush her off until Mia added hurtfully, "Or did Erasa never tell you…"

Videl gave her an annoyed look as she asked, "Tell me what?"

"That _she_ slept with Sharpner when you two were dating," Mia said with emphasis, her glare on the champion's daughter. Her words were sharp, meaning to cut Videl to her core. She didn't even care that her grievances were being aired out in the ring, being witnessed by hundreds of people.

Videl eyed her with suspicion. "Y-you're lying!"

"Am I?" Mia scoffed back. She stepped forward a little menacingly, her wedge heels clacking against the marble. "Who told you I slept with Sharpener? Erasa?"

"Sharpner," Videl corrected.

"So, tell me, what did he say about my tail?" Mia asked, her eyes leveling on Videl.

Videl frowned, confusion across her face. "Tail?"

Mia smirked. "Did you forget?" Her tail unwrapped from her waist, wagging it in the air to show that it was really a tail. "It was the first thing you ever teased me about when we were kids."

Videl's eyes went wide as she saw the tail dance in the air. "I-I thought you got rid of it…" she muttered trailing off.

Mia smirked. "So Sharpner didn't mention my tail." Her gaze leveled with Videl's, seeing her realize how wrong she'd been. Realizing how unwarranted her actions the past few years were. "I find it very odd that he'd leave out such a defining and shocking detail," she said it so patronizingly.

"Erasa would never … She'd never …"

"Never sleep with Sharpner? Really!?" Mia barked out a laugh. "You've seen how she moons over him. Or have you just ignored it completely?" Videl didn't answer, so Mia continued. "See, Sharpner didn't realize his sister, Libby, and I would be at their house so soon, and we walked in on them."

"Stop it."

"Libby told me they kept at it for _months_ after you two broke up," Mia continued, her words twisting a knife into Videl's heart.

"Stop it, Mia!"

"And Erasa never mentioned it to you. I thought she was your best friend," Mia added, even more hurtfully.

Videl snapped, launching at Mia as she yelled, "I SAID 'STOP IT'!" She swung her fist, only to have Mia catch it with ease. Videl let out a guttural cry as she punched with her other fist, that one, too, caught by Mia.

The princess gripped Videl's fists in her own, putting pressure on the bones. Mia pulled her by her fists, holding her in place as she said, "I'm done playing nice with you. You've tormented me for thirteen years for no reason. You've tried to sabotage my relationship with Gohan over and over. He's made his choice, and it was me. So, for your sake, I'm ending this now."

In the blink of an eye, Mia flung Videl up into the air as if she weighed nothing. She phased from her spot on the ground to behind Videl, doing a flip-turn kick, which caught Videl across the middle of her back. Videl let out a gasp from the shock of the blow. Mia clasped her hands, bringing them down on top of the champion's daughter, sending her plummeting to the ring.

Videl did her best to catch herself with her ki, but was relegated to breaking her fall by landing on her hands and knees. Mia landed with ease as Videl struggled to get back to a standing stance. Once Videl had her fists barely lifted in a fighting stance, Mia attacked, throwing punches across Videl's face and driving her back towards the edge of the ring. Every connected fist was cathartic to Mia. As Videl neared the edge of the ring, she sprung into the air, flying back to the middle carefully. Mia smirked, _Now she wants to test her skills of flight against me._ With a small "pip," Mia hovered and inch above the ground, flying with tremendous speed towards the champion's daughter. Videl started to run as Mia chased her down, but as she was about to get cornered again, she sprung into the air, trying to distance herself from the Saiyan princess. It didn't work. Mia was in front of her in a second, throwing punches and kicks that Videl could barely keep up with to block. Eventually she faltered, and Mia wasted no time exploiting Videl's suddenly exposed weakness with a small ki blast, sending Videl plummeting to the ground, outside of the ring.

Mia touched down in the ring, just above where Videl landed in the grass. The announcer ran over, skidding as he saw the scene. "In a surprising turn of events, Videl has landed outside the ring! Mia … I mean Saiyagirl has won her first match!" The announcer was met with cheers at the news, which threw Mia off. Videl was supposed to be the fan favorite.

The princess looked back to Videl lying out on the ground, panting. Mia jumped off the ring, landing next to her school rival. She nudged the brunette with her boot, earning a pained grunt from Videl. "Come on Videl. Get up."

Videl breathed out a whimper. "Everything hurts," she managed through a weeze.

Mia nodded knowingly as she knelt next to her, saying, "Yeah, well, you did collide with the _ground._ So…" Videl hissed as she tried to move, not wanting to hear the princess's snark on top of her injury. Mia let out a sigh, pulling the champion's daughter off the ground to a supporting stand as she said, "Alright, come on."

Videl eyed Mia with pained confusion. "Why are you helping me?"

Mia gave her a rueful smile as she replied, "Because, unlike you, I'm a _nice_ person. Maybe if you'd given me a chance, you'd already know that."

Videl was silent for a moment, humiliated in so many ways, from losing the match to how she treated Mia. The princess didn't urge her to speak as they walked back to the waiting area. "I'm sorry," Videl breathed, not looking at her childhood victim, "… for everything."

Mia set her jaw, looking to her feet for a moment. She'd held onto this hate for so long. Waited for an apology or acknowledgment for the way she'd been treated for the past thirteen years. Hoping to one day rub her bully's face in her actions for so long, and tell her that her actions were irredeemable. But in that moment she felt her grudge ebbing away, being replaced by a modicum of understanding and respect.

"You don't have to say anything," Videl urged as they neared the fighters' area.

Mia stopped, causing Videl to jerk forward. Videl eyed her curiously, seeing Mia fighting with herself. "In the thirteen years I've known you, I never expected you to apologize to me." Videl frowned, feeling worse about her actions. The past three years, she did her best to mend fences and right the wrongs of her years tormenting the other kids at school, and helping save the city to become the good person she was expected to be, being the daughter of _the world's savior._ Videl opened her mouth to defend herself, but Mia started again before she could, "I'm not forgiving what you did, … but … thank you." Videl smiled. It was a start.

Mia guided her back to the fighter's area, passing her off to the doctors as they came running into the area. As Mia passed her off, Gohan walked up to her, his face a worried frown. "What?" Mia asked, annoyed because she knew he would say something about being disappointed.

"I know that was hard for you," he whispered, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Mia frowned in confusion. "What?"

"I never realized how much she'd done to you, but I'm grateful you held yourself back," Gohan explained with a sincere smile.

Mia shrugged. "After everything was one the table, the fight just felt … cathartic. Like I was finally releasing all the negativity I associated with her." Gohan nodded his understanding. Turning back towards the ring. "I'm sorry our identities were revealed."

Gohan shrugged. "It was fun while it lasted." His eyes leveled with hers, drifting his hands down her arm to her hand as he asked, "Are you ok?" Mia nodded, squeezing his hand with hers lightly.

"AND NOW! For the second match! We've got Shin versus Majunior!" the announcer called out, amping the audience into a frenzy. "This is Shin's first time here, and not much is known about him, but his preliminary round score was so impressive, that he's bound to go far! Majunior has been here once before and made it all the way to the finals! After that fight, the ring needed some serious refurbishing." The announcer skidded up to the ring as Piccolo was about to walk up the stairs as he added, "This time, could we please try to keep the ring intact?" Piccolo didn't answer as he moved to stand opposite Shin. "BEGIN!"

Mia crossed her arms as she watched the fight in between her mother and Gohan, using her flight to see just over the sign, by hovering there. "Their just standing there …" she commented curiously. A small smile came to her face as she said, "Since I'll be seeing him in the next round, any pointers on taking out Piccolo?" The question was more aimed at Gohan, but no one answered. She turned to her boyfriend, seeing him watching his mentor with similar worry that he had for her fight with Videl. "What's wrong?"

Gohan gave a small shake of his head as he said, "He's nervous. I've never seen him like this."

Mia quirked an eyebrow, shifting her gaze back to the stand-off. As she looked closer, she noted that Piccolo did seem shaky, while Shin stood calm. "What do you think is wrong?"

"He recognizes him," Siyaka stated, her gaze sharp and observing. Krillin opened his mouth to refute her, but she cut him off, saying, "You do enough interrogations, you can tell when someone knows another, even though they say otherwise." As Krillin gained a confused look, Siyaka pointed to herself, "Remember, detective."

Krillin turned back to the ring. "But how?"

"I promise, you'll know soon," Shin said to Piccolo out of the blue. The namekian's eyes went wide as he shifted back, his jaw dropping in shock. Shin smiled wider as he added, "But for now, let's enjoy our little match."

Piccolo was silent with fear for a few moments before turning away from Shin to the ring entrance, and walking down the stairs. "I forfeit," he breathed as his foot landed on the first step. The shock was evident on everyone's faces, except Shin, who looked amused.

"Quitting?" Gohan breathed, disbelievingly.

Mia laughed nervously. As Piccolo walked into the fighters' area, Mia awkwardly asked, "Soooo … is he really that strong?"

Piccolo cut an annoyed gaze to the princess before looking back ahead as he answered, "More than you can imagine."

Mia pursed her lips. "Fantastic," she muttered ironically.

Piccolo ignored her

"Alright, everyone! Let's keep this show going!" the announcer called out. "The first of our next two fighters is a homicide detective with the Satan City police force. Since becoming a detective, she has achieved the highest record of criminal take-downs in the precinct. Give it up for SIYAKA JICAMA!" Siyaka stepped out from behind the sign, her gaze locked on the ring with a smirk as Shin made his way back to the fighter's area. _This will be easy._

"YEAH! Go MOM!" Mia cheered, causing Siyaka to smile as she stepped out, hearing more resounding cheers.

"Our other competitor had some bad luck in the last tournament, losing in the first round. But now he's back looking for some redemption. Give it up for SPOPAVITCH!" More cheers erupted from the crowd, although some boos were thrown in, more than any other fighter.

When he didn't step forward, Mia looked back to where he was seated against the back wall, panting like he was in pain or overexerted. Mia couldn't tell which. Yamu stepped up to him, tapping him on the shoulder. Mia frowned as she watched Yamu whisper something to Spopavitch that made him smile. Yamu reached in his pocket, his comrade giving him a nod before walking to the entrance of the ring. An uneasy feeling settled into her gut as she watched Spopavitch join her mother in the ring, seeing Shin stop and scowl at the lumbering fighter. Something was definitely up. Mia crossed her arms, her fingers twitching against her arms out of nervousness for her mother.

Gohan noticed, giving her a light playful nudge as he asked, "Are you ok?"

"I dunno," Mia answered, still scowling at the ring. "Something's off."

Vegeta laughed from the side, not looking at his daughter. "You're mother has faced far worse than this clown."

"Give her a break Vegeta," Kakarot chided, also looking to the ring. "This is the first time she's seeing her mom in combat, right?"

Before Mia could answer, Vegeta answered for her, "Siyaka's a saiyan elite. Any idiot could figure out that she'll be winner of this fight."

Mia's gaze followed a worried Shin back into the fighter's area as she muttered, "I just dunno. Something feels off." She saw Piccolo stop Shin, pulling him aside to a quiet conversation. She would have moved closer to them to eavesdrop, but the fight started up with Siyaka launching at Spopavitch with a series of punches that left the onlookers stunned.

"And they're off with Siyaka taking the first few punches with Spopavitch only able to block," the announcer called out with excitement.

Siyaka switched to a couple kicks, clearly testing Spopavitch's blocking range, before jumping back, her gaze locking with his as she smiled a little. The crowd roared in their ears, begging for more action. Spopavitch laughed before he asked, "Is that all you got?!"

Siyaka smirked. "It's all I need."

Spopavitch growled, gnashing his teeth at her arrogance. "We'll see about that!" He charged at her, fist raised to strike.

As Spopavitch swung, Siyaka dove skidding between his large legs, spinning around and kicking his legs out from under him. Spopavitch crashed to the ground, and Siyaka was on him, flipping him over and pinning him to the ground as she pulled his arm back, primed to shatter his humerus. One foot was planted on his other shoulder to keep him down.

"I can't believe it! Siyaka was able to topple her opponent and now has him in Double Wrist Lock!"

Spopavitch moved to get up, but Siyaka slammed him back down with her foot, twisting his wrist a little tighter. "This would go a lot more smoothly if you just gave up." Spopavitch grunted against the marble tile, struggling against her, causing her hold to become tighter and more painful. "Seriously, you won't get out of this with your arm. Just give up."

Spopavitch began to power up, earning surprised glances from the group. Both Vegeta and Kakarot shared a confused, worried gaze before turning back to the fight. Mia huffed. She couldn't sense power levels like they could, as Gohan had told her, but that didn't mean she should be kept out of the loop. "What's wrong?" she asked, annoyance niggling at the back of her mind.

"Spopavitch has a lot more power than he did the last time he fought in the tournament," Kakarot answered.

"Well, he has been training," Gohan tried to justify, but there was still some uncertainty in his voice, and Mia wasn't accepting it as a good enough excuse.

"No," Vegeta spoke up, his tone grave. "If you really sense him, he has this empty well of power that he's pulling this from."

Kakarot nodded, continuing for the prince, "No amount of training would give him that much power in such little time. It's impossible."

With a quick movement, Spopavitch forced his arm to dislocate, jarring Siyaka enough to loosen her grip and get out of her hold. He rolled away from her, his arm hanging limply at his side, the end of the bone pushing his skin out awkwardly. Mia felt the bile rising in her stomach at the sight. The announcer was at a loss for words as Spopavitch grabbed his hanging arm and swiftly popped it back into place without a hint of pain. He even smiled. He gave it a couple test punches and swings, before turning back to Siyaka, perfectly fine.

Siyaka leveled her gaze at him, taking in his unphased demeanor with a scowl. He wasn't fighting like a normal human. No, he was different. This was going to be harder than she thought. She lifted her fists back to a fighting stance, realizing the only way to beat him was to fight as she did back in Frieza's army, not as a cop.

Before he could see, she phased behind him, planting a strong kick to his back, knocking him forward a few steps. She phased back infront of him, landing several punches on him before planting a boosted uppercut on his jaw, sending him up in the air as the announcer called, "And the detective is giving him what for at such speed, that you can hardly keep track. I think one thing is for certain, any criminal in Satan City should be wary with this slugger on the force!" She phased above the hulking fighter, joining both hands together to knock him down to the ground with a mighty blow. "Spopavitch is falling fast, towards the outside of the ring! This could be the end, folks!"

At the last second, Spopavitch flew out his hands, and with a loud yell and power surge, he stopped himself a few feet from face planting into the grassy ground like Videl had. He maneuvered himself in the air to prevent out of bounds contact to face Siyaka, whose eyes were wide at his sudden talent. He jumped up, rising to meet her in aerial combat at great speed. "He's flying!?" Gohan breathed incredulously. In that moment Mia knew she should have listened to her gut from the start.

Siyaka aimed quickly, firing of a powerful ki blast at her opponent. He knocked it to the side with ease, his own purple ki blast prepared in his other hand, which he blasted and the saiyan noblewoman. She brought her arms up quickly to block the blast, but the explosion still sent her flying towards the stands. She did a flip turn, stopping her momentum meters from the stands. The announcer was at a loss for words again.

With a smile, Spopavitch lifted his hand, ready to fire more ki blasts. He glowed a dark purple as his ki whipped around him. "This is bad," Gohan muttered, seeing the audience behind Siyaka. "If she dodges, that blast will hit all those people." Siyaka didn't move as Spopavitch fired off three powerful blasts, one aimed at her, and the other two aimed at where she could go. There was a loud explosion and smoke where Siyaka once was, terrified screams filled the stadium.

"G-gh-gh … Spopavitch just blew up his opponent!" the announcer screamed in disbelief. "And not just her, the stadium too!"

Mia wide eyes watched the billowing smoke in terror. "Did he really just … ?"

"No, they're all fine," Kakarot stated, his glare on Spopavitch. "But for that stunt, he should be disqualified."

"Yeah," Krillin gulped.

The smoke gave way to Siyaka, her curly hair blonde and standing on end, with her angry teal eyes giving her the look of an avenging angel. The smoke disappeared with her golden power surging around her, showing the stadium in tact. There was a hushed silence as the audience took in the scene. Murmurs of the cell games began to flurry through the onlookers

"It's time," a calm voice breathed behind them, causing Mia to jump and turn around. Her next opponent, Shin, stood behind them with Piccolo and Kabito. "You do not need to worry about Siyaka. She will be fine. But whatever happens next, I want you to promise me that you will stay out of the ring."

Mia scowled at the purple man. Something was definitely up.

"What? Why?" Krillin asked.

Mia was already shaking a little, anger building inside her.

Shin continued. "It's not quite going according to plan, but I'm certain that when Siyaka goes in for her next attack, the others will make their move."

"What? What move?" Kakarot asked.

But Mia didn't care. One word stood out to her, and it was magnifying her anger. "You're planning on using my mom? Who the fuck do you think you are!?"

"Mia!" Piccolo hissed. "That is no way to speak to the supreme kai!"

Everyone gasped in shock, except Mia who continued to frown in confusion. "Wait, _Shin_ is the Supreme kai!?" Kakarot gawked.

"I don't care if he's God! He's not using my mom as a bargaining chip!" Mia snapped, power surging around her. Gohan put his hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down, and it worked a little.

But Shin was frowning disappointedly at her, which caused her to grind her teeth. "As I've already said, your mother will be fine. But you mustn't interfere."

"Who are these others?" Vegeta finally spoke up, his tone a little too cool for Mia's taste.

"Spopavitch and Yamu need to gather energy for their master. The original plan was for Gohan, as he's the strongest fighter here, but Yamu has an unforeseen grudge," Shin explained.

Mia's eyes widened in disbelief. "A grudge!? And you seriously think he's going to leave with just her energy!?"

Shin didn't dignify her with and answer as he turned his gaze to Kabito, and whispered, "Are you ready?" Kabito nodded.

"I'm talking to you!" Mia growled, stepping toward him menacingly.

Gohan squeezed her shoulder, pulling her back to him. "Mia, you need to show him some respect. He's a kai."

"What the fuck is a kai!?"

Gohan's gaze was full of understanding and pity, which made Mia want to spit. "He's a god." That answer made her stop, letting that information sink in. This small man in front of her ran the universe. She couldn't fight him.

Mia looked back to Shin, her anger starting to ebb a little. "You promise she'll be ok." Shin nodded. She let out a calming breath, turning back to her mother's fight.

Siyaka pumped up her super saiyan energy, her ki flaring around her. She didn't drop from her Super Saiyan form. Everyone saw her anyway. She'd have some explanations headed her way at work, but now there was nothing she could do about that. In super saiyan, she could take this monster down no problem. And it was clear he was a monster. Only a monster would have targeted the audience to make sure that they hit their opponent. She couldn't stand by and watch innocents get hurt. She wasn't that woman anymore.

Siyaka moved through the air quickly, fist aimed.

"NOW!" Yamu cried from the sidelines, speeding into the ring, and throwing Siyaka's attention away from her opponent. He too was enshrouded in purplish black ki.

Shin moved impossibly fast to stand in front of the tournament sign. "There!" he called.

Taking advantage of Siyaka's distraction, Spopavitch launched, wrapping his arms around her, preventing her from moving. She moved to power up and use her ki to repel him, but as she did, Shin raised his hands and called out, immobilizing her with some power. Her eyes went wide with fear at not being able to move as Yamu closed the space between them holding a large white instrument with a curvy M on the side.

Yamu smiled sadistically as he positioned the siphon by her abdomen as he said huskily, "The Red Shark Gang sends their regards." Her eyes went wide as he jammed the syphon into her side, puncturing her skin and organs. She could feel the blood leaving her body and beginning to pool at the syphon with her ki. Then she was overtaken by the excruciating pain shooting through her side and spine, paralyzing her mind as she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Vegeta uncrossed his arms, taking a step forward, his face full of worry and pain. Before he could move anywhere, Shin snapped at him. "I told you, she will be fine."

Vegeta stood paralyzed by the kai as he growled, "Unhand me."

"Mom," Mia breathed, not hearing the kai. Not even registering that there was anyone else around. Her eyes were wide on her mom screaming. "YOU LIAR!" Mia screamed, turning on the kai. "You told me she wouldn't be hurt!"

"She will be fine," Shin replied, still holding Vegeta with the power he had left. It was hard enough to restrain one Saiyan, but two required extra focus.

Siyaka's screams were becoming too much for Mia to bear hearing. "MOOOOM!" Mia screamed out in response to her mother's cries. She began to run out. To hell with the kai. Who did he think he was?! Her arm was snagged causing her to stop. She looked to her arm to see Gohan's hand holding onto her wrist, his face serious. She sucked on her teeth, trying to control her anger. "Let go of me, Gohan," she hissed dangerously.

"No, you heard Shin," Gohan replied calmly back. "You need to calm down. She'll be alright."

"How do you know!?" she snapped back. "Have you been stabbed in the stomach?" She jerked on her arm, but his hold on her wrist tightened. "I said 'let go,'" she growled.

"No," Gohan growled back, his face stern. "Not until you calm down."

Mia balled a fist, trying to control her breathing. But her mother's screaming echoing in her ears was driving her crazy. She needed to help her. And Gohan was in her way. "I said … LET GO!" she screamed, throwing a punch at the hybrid's left eye. He quickly powered up to a Super Saiyan as he caught it.

His grip on her fist and wrist tightened as he said, "Calm down!"

Mia jerked both of her arms, putting her whole body into it, her breathing becoming erratic as she fought against her boyfriend, her mother's horrifying howls reverberating in her brain. "LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME _NOW_!"

"Mia, you need to calm down." It wasn't Gohan this time, but her father. He wasn't looking at her, but glaring at Shin. The kai had a hold of him, and he hated being held back.

She continued to fight as she snapped back at him, "What about you, _Father_?!" she spat at him. She didn't need to look at him to know her next comment would cut him, deep. "She once told me that you promised to always keep her safe. Where's that promise when she's dying for some kai's cause!? The Vegeta she told me about wouldn't be held back so easily." That was it. Her mother's screaming had reached a higher, more desperate pitch, causing Mia to yell, "LET GO!" She saw in Gohan's eyes his fear and surprise as something snapped in her brain. Her aura, her ki suddenly felt different, hot, as if a blazing fire roared inside of her. Everything was flying around her. Her white cape billowing out uncontrollably until it unfastened itself, getting lost in the breeze. Her hair stood on end, and she could no longer feel her braid against her back. Her breathing seemed to calm, but her mind was firing all synapses. She needed to get out of his grip.

"Mia," Gohan gasped worriedly. His worry, and this sudden new sense of power, this fire surging through her, she knew she had done it. She had transformed into a super saiyan.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. She needed to show her mind was calm, despite her transformation. Her mother was able to do it.

His grip loosened lightly. "I-it's alright, Mia."

"Good," she breathed, her expression deadened. "Because this isn't personal," she added quickly, grabbing his wrists tightly and pulling him down, and kneeing him in the chin with unprecedented speed. He grunted at the sudden pain in his jaw, and his shock caused him to loosen his grip. She lifted her legs up and planted them in his stomach, using her boyfriend as a springboard to kick off from, flying towards the tournament ring. She ignored the loud crash of Gohan against the back wall, Kakarot calling for his son. They'd forgive her after she saved her mother.

"NO! Stop her!" Shin cried, but no one moved.

She ripped off her mask, loosening the knot to open it up. She'd need to bandage her mother's wound with something. But now that she thought about it, she'd probably need a tourniquet to stave off the bleeding. She sprang to the screaming tournament announcer as light began to flash throughout the stadium. She snatched the mic away from him, ignoring him yelling at her to give that back. After huffing, he pulled another out from his jacket, tapping the mouth piece. "Testing, Testing."

In an instant, Mia swung both legs around, spin kicking both Spopavitch and Yamu away from her mother. The men landed in the ring with a boom, surrounded by dust clouds. Mia grabbed her mother, weak and paralyzed, landing on the ring floor, and placing her down gently. Mia took in her mother's injury, pulling out the syphon, seeing the blood pool out. Siyaka gasped, and Mia put herself to work tying her mask into a tourniquet around her mother's wound. "M-Mia," Siyaka whispered hoarsely, from screaming.

"Sh," Mia said, not looking at her mom, "don't speak. Save your strength."

"Y-you transformed," Siyaka rasped with a proud smile.

Mia half smiled back as she said, "Yeah, I did." Siyaka hissed as Mia tied the last knot. "Mom, I need you to focus. If you start feeling faint, I need you to twist this, got it? It'll slow the bleeding." Siyaka nodded. "Good." Mia stood up, her shoulders back and her body battle ready as she saw Spopavitch and Yamu standing haggardly, glaring at her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm not sure what's going on, but after saving the detective, who she calls Mom, it looks like Saiyagirl is going to take on both Spopavitch and Yamu! I'm not even sure if this is allowed! Can we get a ruling!?" the announcer called into the mic.

Mia reached to the back of her head, not counting how many strands this time, and ripped a lock of hair out of her skull, some skin and blood coming with it. She threw the golden hair between her and her opponents, still holding her hand out as she shot white ki at each hair. The strands of hair glowed and grew, morphing into another person, until eleven Mias stood in the ring, each with golden hair and teal eyes. The announcer stumbled to find his words as he took in the new ratio of fighters. Two Mias sprung off the stage, guarding the ring entrance, their arms splayed out. "Do not try to stop me," they each said in tone.

Gohan grunted as he stepped forward, holding his stomach. "What is this?" he asked.

"Mia never showed you?" Vegeta remarked, eyeing her copies.

"It's multiform, right?" Kakarot asked, settling into a fighting stance.

"Don't touch them!" Vegeta snapped as he saw Krillin moving closer to the copies. "It's not multiform. Their Ki Golems. You touch them, they'll explode."

Krillin stepped back nervously. "Got it."

"What's a Ki Golem?" Gohan asked, still holding his stomach. Mia's heels really added extra pain to her kicks.

Vegeta scowled, turning to the ring. "General Jicama of the Saiyan army, Siyaka's father, was revered for his ki splitting techniques by being able to put ki into parts of himself, usually a piece of skin, and make a Ki Golem. These golems looked identical to him, but when touched, react to the imbalance of energy, and explode. Each one has the same energy as my Galic Gun. Siyaka told me that he'd only be able to produce three golems, because he'd have to cut his own skin off to make them."

"But Mia is using the skin cells in her hair," Gohan filled in. Mia's long hair provided enough skin cells to produce a golem. While part of Gohan was freaked that his girlfriend had this ability, another part was impressed.

"This is what I'm afraid she taught Goten," Vegeta finished, watching his daughter.

One of the golems picked up the syphon and threw it, while Mia held her hand up, shooting a ki blast and blowing it to pieces with a thundering blow. The audience gasped as the syphon blew up, erupting in an explosive cloud before disappearing in the higher altitude winds.

Spopavitch and Yamu growled as eight Mias approached them, in a synchronized fashion. They shuffled into one another, making it impossible to tell who was the real Mia. The one who threw the syphon stayed back to guard Siyaka. Spopavitch and Yamu jumped up into the air, the Mias springing up in flight just behind them, circling them. Yamu and Spopavitch floated back to back, leaving no blind spot. "Spopavitch," Yamu growled eyeing the ki golems in front of them, "don't attack first. We may be able to kite them …"

But Spopavitch didn't listen as he lunged forward, punching one of the Mias away, only to have her grab his hand, taking him soaring into the sky as she began to shine brightly before exploding like a powerful blast. Another two flew up after them, leaving five surrounding Yamu. He ignored the screams of his partner as he looked at the golems, waving for them to start.

The real Mia had zoomed up to Spopavitch, and gestured for the other golem to dive into the explosion's cloud, grabbing Spopavitch and lighting up again like an active mine. His screams echoed through the stadium, but he hadn't fallen out of the cloud. As the clouds blew away, he came back into view hovering in the air, his arms covering his face. His leotard hung off him in tatters, ripped and burned edges over his abdomen and legs. His arms and legs retained scratches and burns. He lowered his arms to glare at the Super Saiyan, the rings under his eyes redder than before. Mia sneered at him before launching into a series of heavy hitting punches. He blocked as best as he could, but he was no match for her Super Saiyan speed. She phased from in front of him, appearing behind him and kicking him forward, causing him to lose his balance for a minute. That falter was enough to open him up for the double handed smashing blow that left him plummeting back to the ring. As he landed with a thud, denting the ring with his impact, Mia leveled her hand, pointing two fingers at him and shooting five energy rings down to him. Each ring embedded itself into the rock stage, chaining his arms, legs, and neck to the ground.

Yamu was smarter than his partner, dodging each golem that dove as best he could. Mia followed his movements until he tried to dodge a golem, jumping out of their circle. She phased in front of him, spin-kicking him back into one of the golems, who flashed before holding onto his waist and exploding. Although he was stronger, Yamu was clearly weaker than Spopavitch. He began to fall back to the ring, semi-conscious from the explosion. Mia again leveled her hand at him, her fingers shooting off five more rings that held him tight and unable to move. He landed on the ring floor with a thud, groan and a bounce, but other than rolling, he couldn't move.

Mia landed back in the ring, leaving her golems in the air as her deadly gaze leveled on the smaller man. He was clearly the brains of the two, and Mia wanted answers. If he was with the Red Shark Gang, and acting on their behalf, she wanted to hunt each and every one of them down. Her heels tacked against the marble as she stepped in front of him. She glared down at him as she growled, "Who sent you?"

Yamu sneered before spitting blood onto her white boots as his answer.

"You want to do this the hard way?" Mia scoffed, kneeling to his level and reaching for the edge of her glove, pulling it off and exposing a perfectly manicured hand. "Fine, let's do this the hard way." She place her hand on his forehead over the "M." She could sense a barrier over his mind, which she destroyed with a small surge of ki, causing Yamu to scream out in pain. She began to rummage through his mind, not caring to be delicate as she searched for her answers. _Who do you work for!?_

 _ **Who is this?**_ a coy voice asked. It sounded as if a cat learned to speak, shrill and calculating. Almost as soon as she heard it, a shockwave knocked her back from Yamu, her palm seering with a dark presence that clawed its way through her body until it enveloped her skull, applying enough pressure to cause her to scream. Her ki slipping from her control as her body seemingly froze in place. She sensed her golems exploding around the stadium, smoke and screams filling the arena. _**My, aren't you a powerful one. You will make a fine addition to my minions.**_

AN: Hey all, I know, it still took too long to get out. Honestly, this chapter felt longer than it actually is. And not going to lie, Spopavitch and Yamu versus Saiyaka/Mia fighting kind of threw me for a loop, because I thought it would go one way, but it did not go that way. I mean the main staples of the fight stayed the same, but the pacing was much different than I expected. And of course, now we start getting into the meat of the Buu Saga. Again, more exciting stuff is about to go down!

On an added note, I tried to upload this earlier today, but only had ffn access on my phone, and trying to upload a doc on the FFN app is ridiculous, and doesn't work half the time. I literally spent 30 minutes replacing all the returns (because it deleted them on upload) only to hit save and it didn't save. I rage quit and almost chucked my phone. FUN! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it!

As always, remember to leave a review!


	14. Chapter 13

**AN:** Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! I know, this is a little late, but I hope you'll forgive me. It should be the longest chapter of the story so far!

Also, there is another present for my lovely readers coming out soon, so keep an eye out! For the past several chapters, I've mentioned Future Trunks knowing about Siyaka and Mia, and Gohan and Mia having a relationship in the future. So, I've written a side fic (started writing, but I'm already halfway through) detailing that timeline. The reason I've done this is there are several questions that I'm going to start posing (possibly fan-losing questions) in the next few chapters of _this_ story. And because I can't answer them immediately in _this_ story due to timing (like, Majin Buu saga is going to take another 7-10 chapters), and how long it will take to reveal some of the answers to those questions, they will be there in the side story. The story is called **Ripples in Time: History of Trunks** , and it is written in 5 parts, each part being about 20,000-25,000 words. It will be rated M for the language, graphic scenes, and all the lemons, of which there is a decent amount. I tried to limit, but every sex scene I have in it shows when Gohan and Mia's relationship evolves, which is necessary, especially since they didn't fall in love the same way as they do in here. So, keep an eye out for that!

Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: All DBZ content is owned by Akira Toriyama, Funimation, and Toei Animation.

Chapter 13

Control

Smoke wafted around the stadium from where the golems exploded, and sirens were heard from all around as firetrucks made their way to the tournament grounds. The fighter's area was blown to pieces, and bits of the thatched roof fell in flaming ashes like black snow. The rubble moved as Gohan shifted out from underneath, his green toga ripped in a few places, his cape singed, and his mask gone. He pulled Shin up from the rubble. He coughed from the smoke before asking, "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Thank you, Gohan," Shin reassured

"No problem," Gohan huffed, shifting around as he took in the destroyed scene. "DAD!" He called out, unable to see through the smoke.

"I'm alright," Goku responded, shifting rubble away from him.

Vegeta groaned behind him, bits of the wall shifting as he moved to stand. He was covered in scratches, and his jumpsuit was torn and singed in places. He'd been closest to the blast, thanks to Shin's power holding him in place. It had happened so quickly. A few seconds after Mia placed her hand on Yamu's head, opening the psychic link, she started shrieking and the golems began to flash just before the boom. Gohan dove for Shin, while 18 phased in front of Krillin to use her force field. Piccolo created a barrier with his energy, deflecting the blast from him and Kabito. They all stood firmly now, taking in the ruin.

From the back, they heard Pintar screaming as he ran out the back door. Krillin's gaze followed the fat Indian man's retreating figure. "Well, there goes my opponent." He wasn't the only one to run off. Several of the tournament attendants had fled and mass panic and screaming filled the stadium.

"I'm more curious about what happened," Gohan huffed, looking towards the ring with worry. He could see the blonde announcer falling to his knees at the fighter's area, crying "My tournament…" But Gohan was more worried about Mia. The smoke began to clear revealing Siyaka still lying on the ground, but turned toward where her daughter was in the ring. Mia knelt on the ground, her ki flying around her, flinging her hair around as she clutched her wrist as if her hand were in pain. She grunted and growled as if being put under pressure.

Shin took in the scene as well. "He's trying to control her."

"What?" Gohan asked, frowning in confusion. "Who?!"

"The wizard who orchestrated this whole thing, Babidi," Shin answered annoyedly.

Vegeta wasn't listening to the kai spouting his doom and gloom about some magical wizard and his henchmen. His eyes were on Siyaka, struggling to move towards his daughter. His heart pounded as he saw the blood-soaked rag in her side. Even though Shin's hold on the Saiyan prince broke just after the explosion, Vegeta's feet didn't move.

 _ **Why aren't you jumping in?**_ the voice was Siyaka's, and his heart sank. Partly because she sounded disappointed in him, but mostly he was disappointed in himself. Two weeks had passed since he'd found out she was alive, and he was still haunted by her phantom. It hurt his pride that he'd become so attached to a woman that even her betrayal didn't even phase his feelings for her. She was always there, pestering him. Reminding him what his life could have been had he not slept with Bulma, had he not fathered Trunks, had he not settled down under the guise that Siyaka would want him to be happy and move on with his life. He regretted all of it.

 _ **She's dying, your daughter is struggling, and you're just going to sit there?**_

 _Shut up._

He didn't need a ghost telling him he'd failed. She wasn't real.

 _ **Save them!**_

 _SHUT UP!_

His mind was consumed with his regret and his pride as it spiraled down to his core. He never should have gotten married. He never should have slept with Bulma. He never should have listened to his temptations. He never should have come to this wretched planet. He never should have let Siyaka go. He never should have said goodbye. He never should have gotten her pregnant. _I never should have fallen in love with her._

His heart hit bottom as he realized the last time he felt true clarity was before that dreaded Siyaka stepped into his life. She'd turned him upside down, and was still messing with his mind and heart twenty years later. The only way to fix that was to change back to who he was before she tainted his mind with love and heartbreak.

* * *

Mia barely registered her body as she held her wrist in front of her, the paralyzing pain shooting from her palm to her head coming from the throbbing curvy "M" embedded on her hand. It burned as if she held a red-hot coal in its place.

 _ **Yes, you will do fine, my pet.**_

Mia's stomach curled at the shriveled voice. _I'm no one's pet!_

 _ **We'll see about that.**_ The pressure immediately increased, and she felt her body give way a bit.

She heard Yamu laughing next to her. His teeth bloody as he grinned at her pain. "Is that my master?" She didn't answer him, and he laughed more. "MASTER!" he called more cheerfully, "Show this bitch what happens when you mess with my master!"

" _ **Shut up, you fool!"**_ Mia's eyes were wide as the words came out of her mouth, but the words weren't her own. They belonged to the voice in her head. Dread began to pool in her guts as she feared she couldn't control herself anymore. _**Yes, fear me, my pet.**_

Yamu was taken aback by the her rebuke, "But Master, we didn't … SHE-"

" _ **I said silence! I'll deal with you in a minute!"**_

"MASTER!" Spopavitch called out, his voice deep and strange, sounding almost like the Frankenstein monster. It was clear he didn't use it often. "I'm sorry, Master."

The voice let out a tired groan before whispering conspiratorially into Mia's mind, _**Be sure to watch this. I think you'll enjoy it, my pet.**_ The next second, Spopavitch began to grow abnormally in places, his veins and eyes popping out of place as his skull expanded. "MASTER!" he called out before his screams became distorted as his tongue swelled out of his mouth, blood running out of his ears and nose. He grunted as he struggled to curl into himself just before his body exploded into reddish purple goo, his blood and guts all that was left on the stage.

Mia wretched at the site. Her lunch coming back up, being pushed by fear and disgust. Yamu's screams joined those of the audience that could see the carnage of Spopavitch's demise.

"B-BUT MASTER!" Yamu screamed, struggling in his confines but unable to move away.

Mia felt her marked hand being tugged to aim at Yamu, but her other hand held it in place. She needed to fight for control of her body. The voice had control of her ki, powering it into a ball in her hand as it aimed at Yamu's face. His black beady eyes widened in fear as the ball glowed against his skin. He struggled to break free of Mia's confines, but was unsuccessful.

"Master, please!" he cried. The ki blast still glowed in front of him. Mia's arm shook as she tried to fight for control. As the ki blast grew, she could smell his urine pooling onto the tiles as his life undoubtedly flashed before his eyes. She could feel the release of her ki as she felt the blast began to ignite. With a final push for control, she let out a yell, swinging her hand up to the sky, letting the blast fly up without hurting anyone.

The voice in her growled at her for gaining control of her body for an instant. She immediately felt him seize control back, forcing her to look at Yamu as his face began to contort as Spopavitch had previously. _**You should have just let the blast hit him. It would have been less painful,**_ the voice chuckled. She couldn't move her head as Yamu's eyes began to pop out of his face, the veins pulsing larger and larger. His body shook as the pain radiated through his body. Mia could see the life draining from his eyes as they lost their focus, blood dripping down his nose and ears. She flinched as he exploded as well, his blood and guts exploding onto her, and marking her face, hands and clothes.

She felt her stomach churning, yet empty. Her eyes teared as she looked at the scene, horrified by what happened. She almost killed a man, and because she refused, he died more painfully anyway. She felt a darker side of her ask, _How could you just sit there and do nothing? You're weak!_

 _ **Yes, weak. I can make you stronger though.**_

 _You can't even fight for yourself. Pathetic._

 _ **You're too weak to fight me.**_

 _Maybe you should listen. You can't fight him._

 _ **Yes …**_ the voice purred.

"Mia," Siyaka groaned off to the side. She had rolled onto her side, still clutching the tourniquet over her abdomen. "Mia, it's ok. It's over."

Mia shook, her ki flaring around her again. "Mom," she rasped. The voice allowed her to turn her head to see her mother inching closer to her. A trail of blood from her mother's wound streaked against the white marble. Fear gripped her heart for her mother. She couldn't control her body. She didn't want to hurt her mom. She didn't want to kill her mom.

The voice could sense that. It giggled with delight.

"Stay back," Mia cried. "I can't control it." But Siyaka kept inching forward.

 _ **Kill her.**_

 _No._

 _ **Kill her!**_ Mia felt her hand being raised again, this time aimed at her mother. A lump formed in her throat at the thought of killing her own mother when her actions weren't her own.

Still, Siyaka kept moving toward her, only a few feet away now.

 _Please, don't make me do this._

 _ **KILL HER!**_

"Mom," Mia cried as a blast began to form. She felt a tear fall down her cheek.

Siyaka looked back at her daughter, her eyes full worry and hope. "Mia. This isn't you."

"I can't control it! Stay back!" Mia cried again, fighting for her body to inch away, to move away from her mother. She doubted she could take control of her arm again like she did last time.

 _ **KILL HER!**_

"MOM!"

Everything happened so quickly. Siyaka was able to grab Mia's outstretched arm just as the blast fired, diverting the blast to the sky as Siyaka pulled her daughter down as she pulled herself into a sitting position, still holding the tourniquet in place. She was able to curl Mia up onto her lap, her daughter's head falling on her chest to hear her heart beat. Her free hand ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, blocking her mind to whatever had attacked her daughter's.

"Mom …" Mia cried, tears falling from her eyes.

"Sh," Siyaka said weakly, still running her fingers through her daughter's blond locks. Just as she used to do when Mia was an infant. She began humming a familiar tune that Mia immediately recognized and instantly calmed her.

" _Little child, hear my voice._

 _I'm with you in the dark night._

 _Oh little child, you'll grow and find_

 _Your strengthened inner light._

 _So, little child, don't you fret._

 _The dark is soon to pass._

 _And when the sun shows again,_

 _You're fear will leave at last."_

Her mother's love began to flow through her mind, calming her rampant fears that the voice had been feeding on. Her mind filled with images of her and her mother sparring, laughing, enjoying each other. Her Uncle Rito smiling and joking with her. Always trying to protect her in his own way. Her mind shifted to Gohan, remembering their training, and the way he held her and made her feel safe. She'd done worse than what she did today, and he still loved her. Finally, she remembered that even with her difficult past, she'd always persevered because she didn't just have people who loved her, but she had learned to love herself. Mistakes and all.

She held onto those thoughts tightly, like rope thrown from safety to catch her in the current. She fought away the voice's control of her body. She felt her ki surging through her, but it was her own.

 _ **What are you doing!?**_ the voice cried, _**Stop!**_

Mia ignored him as her mind overpowered him easily, seizing full control. It was easy once she let go of her fear. Now all she felt was righteous anger as she shredded the hold the voice had on her to pieces. And the voice disappeared, all for except a tiny piece that remained, leaving an odd sensation in her mind. It seemed as if her mind's ear was pressed against a door, and able to hear the muffled inner workings of the other's mind. And he was livid. She picked up pieces of a Majin Buu not being resurrected.

She shuddered as she became conscious of her breathing, and calmed her ki, powering down from super Saiyan. "Mia?" her mother rasped, clearly barely holding on.

"Mom," Mia breathed, looking to check her wound. "We need to get you healed up," the princess added, a bleak smile on her face to tell her mother that she was alright, and that there were more important things to worry about. "Medic! We need a medic over here!" Mia called, reaching for the tourniquet. That was when she felt how soaked the fabric was, drenched with her mother's blood. "MOM!" she gasped. Siyaka's adrenaline ran out, and she fell slack against her daughter, and Mia cried out again, more urgently, "HELP!" Tears stung her eyes as the thought of losing her mother re-entered her mind, feeling it as almost a certainty now. "Mom, hold on!" she pleaded through sobs, gripping her mother's shirt as if it would hold her spirit to this world. "Please don't die."

"Stand aside," a deep voice said next to her.

Mia looked up to see Shin's attendant, Kabito staring down at her. His outfit had been wrinkled and singed from the explosion. He knelt on the other side of Siyaka, pulling her unconscious body away from Mia to lie down. "What are you going to do?" Mia asked shakily, feeling tears sliding down her cheeks. Kabito said nothing as he placed his hands on her mother.

The princess felt a comforting hand fall on her shoulder. "Mia," the softer voice of her boyfriend breathed. She immediately stood, turning to him and crying into his chest. She didn't know what she would do if her mother died. Gohan held onto her tightly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Don't worry. She'll be alright."

"He's right," Shin said behind them. Mia turned to see the purple kai. "It was very dangerous to take on both Spopavitch and Yamu. And as I suspected, Babidi tried to take control of you." Mia scowled at the kai as he spoke. _Babidi_. The piece left in her mind seemed to recognize. "It's good you were able to break his hold," Shin continued, "but if you don't mind me checking to see if you're still intact." She could tell he meant mentally. She allowed Shin to reach a hand to her forehead, searching her mind of any connection to this Babidi. Shin frowned, removing his hand from her head and he eyed her curiously.

"What is it, Supreme Kai?" Gohan asked reverently.

Shin shook his head as he stepped back, his face showing his confusion. "I'm not sure if this is normal or not. Mia is the first to overthrow Babidi's bid for control. But in overthrowing him, he seems to have left a piece of his mind in hers."

Gohan looked at his girlfriend worriedly, stepping closer to her as he put an arm around her. "So, what does that mean? Will he be able to control her again?"

Shin pursed his lips as he eyed the Saiyan princess. "I don't think so," he answered. "I'm not sure if Babidi is even aware of the connection."

"So, what does that mean?" Gohan urged, his grip on Mia tightening.

Mia seemed to understand the glint in the kai's eye as she filled in, "It means we have the advantage. If I know how he's thinking, we can use that against him." Shin nodded his agreement.

Gohan frowned, slightly pushing Mia behind him protectively. "Hold on. You want us to fight him?!"

"Well, I could use your help," Shin stated, chewing on his bottom lip as he added, "But, when Mia destroyed the syphon and took on Spopavitch and Yamu, she ruined our chances to follow them to Babidi's hideout."

Mia scowled at the kai, growling, "If you didn't use my mother as bait, I wouldn't have had to step in."

Shin shot her a curious smile as he asked, "Would you have preferred I used Gohan, as I originally intended?" Mia scowl turned deadly as the kai continued, "For that matter, you were the only one who stepped in against my order."

" _Against your order?!_ " Mia repeated in a dangerous tone.

Gohan held up his arm, barring Mia from launching at the kai, her claws ready to mangle him. "Calm down, fighting amongst ourselves won't get us anywhere," the hybrid reasoned, glancing between his girlfriend and the kai.

Mia rolled her eyes, stepping away from the group to cool off. As she moved away, she felt the piece in her mind being tugged back a different way. She followed the feeling, moving towards the northwest corner of the ring. Her gut told her if she kept following that feeling, she'd find Babidi.

"What I can't believe is that he killed his own men," Gohan huffed. "What kind of people kill their own?" Piccolo, Krillin and Goku shot a look at Vegeta, each wondering if Gohan really forgot. Vegeta scowled back at them.

"That's what he does," Kabito stated, still healing Siyaka as her wound sewed itself shut. "He promises them riches and power, and once he gets what he wants, he disposes of them like trash." Kabito's healing powers slowed to a stop, and he removed his hand from the Saiyan noble's abdomen. "You should be fine now," he grunted, leaning back off his knees to stand. Siyaka sat up, her eyes wide at how strong she felt. She tested her strength by flexing her biceps as she stood. She felt good. Better than good. It had been since Mia's birth that she felt the effects of a Zenkai boost, and she welcomed the new norm.

As her arms fell to her side, her eyes caught the blood stain in her now ripped white tank top, and she frowned. She'd have to buy a new one. "Figures," she muttered. She turned to find her daughter lifting off a little into the air towards the northwest corner of the ring. "Mia?"

"I – I think he's this way," Mia stated, pointing the direction she faced. Siyaka looked to the group for clarification. She caught a little listening to Mia and Shin's argument over the hum of Kabito's healing powers.

"What makes you say that?" Kabito remarked skeptically, as if a mere mortal could locate a being he and the Supreme kai couldn't find for months.

"The piece he left, it's getting stronger when I move in that direction," Mia huffed, scowling at the disbelieving kai-in-training.

Shin smirked at the news. "Well, maybe your defiance has born fruit." The purple kai stepped forward, his eyes calculating and hopeful. "If you have the means of finding this wizard, lead on," he ordered, lifting an offering hand.

"Woah, hold on," Krillin jumped in. "If we're going into battle with a guy who controls some of the strongest fighters in the universe, shouldn't we, I dunno, have some insurance? Like Sensu Beans?"

Siyaka and Mia looked at the Buddhist oddly as Mia touched back down to the ring, and as Goku offered, "I'll go to Korin and get some!"

"Who's Corn?" Siyaka asked.

Mia spoke tiredly over her mother, feeling the necessity to urge him to hurry, "We leave in one minute." She didn't know what it was about Gohan's father, but she got the vibe from him that he was never particularly on time or expedient unless it suited him.

Goku froze, eyeing his son's girlfriend curiously. "What?"

Mia's bored gaze fell on the tall Saiyan, the connection to Babidi wearing on her nerves, feeling foreign and dirty in her mind. "We leave in one minute, with or without you." Kakarot made a move to complain, and Mia closed her eyes, sighing, "59 … 58 … 57…" The palm-haired Saiyan huffed, not liking being bossed by the younger girl, and he quickly put his two fingers to his forehead and disappeared in an instant.

"Hold on!" Vegeta growled, looking between his daughter and the kai who seemed to be calling the shots. "I came here to fight Kakarot! Not go galivanting half a world away to fight some stupid kai's war!"

Mia's cold gaze fell on her father. She'd almost had it with his dismissive attitude towards her and her mother. " _You_ don't have to come," she hissed annoyedly at her father, her arms crossed just as his usually were.

"Don't be absurd," Vegeta groused, his glare matching his daughter's. "If Kakarot goes off to save the world, then that shoots the 24 hours he's here down the toilet. I want a proper match, as I was promised I would get!"

"You know, you weren't the only one with plans for Dad today," Gohan stated, frowning at the Saiyan prince's selfish mindset. Frankly, Gohan wanted to go fishing one last time and bring Goten for some male bonding. He also knew his mother had a reservation at a restaurant, just the two of them while Gohan stayed home with Goten. Siyaka had mentioned at one or two meals going through his Saiyan file with him, which had pictures of his parents, recordings, birthdates, jobs, and so much more. To Gohan, those plans seemed more important than Vegeta's need for finally besting his father in battle.

Vegeta made a derisive snort, looking away from the group. _They'd never understand!_

"Oh, I should go tell my wife," Krillin piped, turning to run back to the fighter's area, where 18 and Mighty Mask stood off to the side. Krillin pulled her away from the oddly shaped masked fighter and explained the situation, eventually getting her blessing. Within a few seconds of returning to the ring, Goku appeared, holding a burlap pouch aloft.

Vegeta immediately snagged the taller Saiyan by his shirt, his glare fueled by ludicrous rage. "You promised me a match! That was the only reason I signed up for this stupid thing!"

Goku's eyes were wide and innocent as he held his hands up in surrender. "It's ok, just hold on. I'm going to help Shin with his wizard problem. But I promise, you and I can go at it like we used to as soon as I get back."

Vegeta scowled at the Saiyan simpleton. "You forget, you're only here for the day!"

"I don't have time for this," Mia huffed, the piece of Babidi's mind itching in her brain. She knew the only way it would go was if Babidi was dead. It was simple. The longer the piece remained in her mind, the more irritated she got. She jumped into the air, shooting off in the direction of the wizard. She'd kill him herself if she had to.

"Come on, Kabito," Shin instructed shooting off just behind her. Gohan, Siyaka, Piccolo and Krillin quickly followed suit. Leaving Vegeta and Goku in the ring.

The prince could see the way Kakarot was looking off to the horizon, following the rest of the group. It didn't matter how hard he'd trained over the last seven years, how strong he'd gotten, how much it meant to the Prince. Kakarot would never actually settle the score between them. Maybe he had been foolish thinking that today who could leave with a piece of his pride intact. Everything else had gone to shit. His marriage, his heart, his whole life was a joke, apparently. But not his pride. Coming here, he had hoped … no … needed for one thing, just _one thing_ to hold on to. Vegeta shoved him off, fuming, knowing the low-born Saiyan would choose to save the world over their fight. Their score wasn't important enough to settle to the low born Saiyan.

Kakarot smiled before shooting off behind the rest of the fighters, following the princess and the kais. Vegeta huffed, knowing he had to go now, or he'd never hear the end of it. He blasted off just behind the palm-haired Saiyan, calling to him, "I'm right behind you, Kakarot!"

* * *

Bardock sat in the stands, his gaze focused on the gore in the middle of the ring. People around him were horrified. Someone sitting three people down from him vomited at the bloody explosion. _"Bardock? What happened?"_

Bardock set his jaw, getting up to leave the stadium with hundreds of people sprinting for the exits. Masses full of confusion and panic herding themselves to the doors like cattle. He used the smoke from the fighter's area as a cover to mask his movement, finding a clear area to open the capsule to use his time-transponder to take him back to the time-scroll room. Not that he really needed the cover. The earthling get-up they made him wear blended him with the crowd well. The only thing that caused him to stand out was his hair.

" _BARDOCK!"_ Trunks yelled over the transponder.

"Shut up, princess," the tired Saiyan veteran huffed, continuing to make his way to a safe place to disappear from.

" _Well, what happened?"_ The purple-headed hybrid could be annoying.

"Spopavitch and Yamu exploded in the fight," Bardock stated.

" _What fight?"_ Trunks asked incredulously. Bardock didn't answer. Trunks tried again, _"What fight, Bar …" *click*._

Bardock didn't need to waste his time filling in the princess. He would be back in just a few seconds if the purple brat could be patient. _Must have gotten that from his father,_ Bardock assumed as he zoomed through the time-space flux, pure blinding white with flashes of battles past as he made his way to the time nest in Age 851, another 75 years in the future from where he was, a total of 112 years from when he was snatched from his fate to join a misfit team of fighters to fend off the demon realm from reviving their wasted world. Had Vegeta not blown, he would have either been an old Saiyan past his prime or long dead on some distant battlefield. He hoped the latter.

As soon as he popped back into being at the time nest, both Trunks and Chronoa jumped on him demanding answers. Bardock huffed at their incessant questions in nagging tones, like a mother worrying after her own child. His gaze shifted to the owl, Toki Toki, sitting on its golden egg. That egg was the whole reason for this fight with the demon realm. Chronoa still refused to tell him why it was important, just that it was and couldn't fall into the hands of the demons Mira and Towa.

"Bardock, would you pay attention!?" Chronoa shrilled annoyedly.

Bardock's bored gaze fell on the pink kai. For a kai, she was rather hot tempered. He knew what she wanted though. "Spopavitch and Yamu were both dispatched by Babbidi, except in the ring rather than at the wizard's ship. This was after the fight between Mia, Spopavitch and Yamu, after Spopavitch's match with Siyaka ending with her being syphoned."

Chronoa frowned in confusion at Bardock. "Who?" she asked.

"Spopa – "

"I wasn't talking about Babbidi's men! I was asking about the _women_ ," the pink kai snapped. "Who are Siyaka and Mia!?"

"Siyaka was Dad's betrothed on Planet Vegeta before it exploded," Trunks filled in, also frowning. "Mia is their daughter, my half-sister, who was conceived while they were under Frieza's army." Bardock pursed his lips and his eyebrows raised, a little surprised by Trunks' answer for a couple reasons.

Chronoa was still clearly confused as she added, "Ok, then why haven't we seen them in the time scrolls before?"

"Siyaka is still alive in my timeline," Trunks replied blandly. "She explained that they didn't seek out Vegeta for a long time because they believed he was dead, as they did with Goku. But they were on Earth the whole time." Chronoa was still lost by this explanation. _More Saiyans on Earth?_ "What I don't understand is why Siyaka was the target," Trunks continued, crossing his arms. "Wasn't that supposed to be Gohan?"

Chronoa nodded.

"Why would Towa change that?" Trunks asked

"To break the syphon?" Bardock supplied, earning confused glares from the kai and purple prince. "Mia broke the syphon," he started again, annoyed he had to fill in the blanks for them, "an item that gave power to Majin Buu, who killed Towa's brother, Dabura."

"So what?" Trunks urged. Bardock scowled at the purple-headed hybrid. For the son of a genius, he was really stupid sometimes.

But Bardock could always count on Chronoa to think outside the box. "You think she's trying to stop Dabura's death by preventing Majin Buu from being awakened?" Bardock nodded.

Trunks' eyes went wide at the implication. "Do you think it will actually work?"

Chronoa flitted back to the time scrolls until she found the next one. She skimmed through it, her brow furrowing together before uttering a small, "No. He still dies at the hands of Majin Buu."

"Then why make that change?" Trunks asked again.

Bardock let out a sigh, scratching his head tiredly. He turned easily heading out the front doors of the time nest. "Where do you think you're going?" Chronoa snapped at him.

"Home," he replied blandly, continuing to the doors of the time nest without turning to acknowledge his teammates. "Catch me up tomorrow with what you find." With that he was out.

Trunks grit his teeth as the doors slammed shut behind the older Saiyan warrior. "That man is not who I had in mind when we wished for Time's greatest warrior," Trunks huffed, going back to the time scrolls to help Chronoa find the missing link in the events.

Chronoa shrugged, turning back to the scroll. "At least he has a nice ass," she commented, not looking at the purple haired hybrid. Trunks hand froze, and he scowled at her disappointedly. "What?" she asked.

"He's married."

" _And?_ "

Trunks shuddered in disgust, turning back to his work.

* * *

As they sped over the ocean, Shin piped up, "We should probably create a plan of action …"

"He already knows we're coming," Mia stated over him, silencing the purple kai. "He's watching us in his crystal ball." She tried to sound clear and informative, but her hair flying in every direction made it difficult to keep it from whipping in her face from time to time.

"So much for the element of surprise," Piccolo huffed.

"Who knows we're coming," Siyaka asked curiously, having missed Shin's explanation earlier. Kabito filled her in as Mia listened in, catching tidbits she didn't already know. The wizard who attacked her was the son of another wizard named Bibiddi. Bibiddi had created a monster named Buu that terrorized the universe, wiping out galaxy after galaxy several thousand years ago. Earth was intended to be the next target for the monster, but Shin killed Bibiddi before he could release the monster once more.

"So, is Buu in the pumpkin?" Mia joked, trying to bring levity to Kabito's apocalyptic tone. Sadly, the joke fell flat as she was returned with confused glares. "Oh, come on! Didn't any of you watch movies as a kid?" Again, she was met with silence. "Cinderella? Needs a coach to get to the ball? Bippoty-Boppity-Boo, the pumpkin turns into a coach and the mice turn into horses?" Still silence. She huffed dejectedly, "It was a joke." _No wonder Gohan's clueless,_ she noted mentally. He was surrounded by people who did nothing but fight, and his mother's idea of television was discovery channel, and that was it.

Shin seemed intrigued though. "So, Earthlings know about Bibiddi, Babiddi, and Buu?"

"No," Mia stated, rolling her eyes. "It's just the incantation the fairy godmother uses in the earthling fairy tale, Cinderella. I was referring to one of the odder variations of the story where Cinderella doesn't make it home in time, and gets stuck in the pumpkin when it reverts back." Her gaze shifted to the Kai when he remained silent. "Again, just a joke."

"Well, I got it," Siyaka stated, her face serious though.

Mia shot her mother a perturbed look as she replied, "A laugh would have been nice."

"Must you squabble?" Kabito growled. Mia ignored him, instead speeding up to get to the wizard faster.

After thirty minutes of flying, passing wastelands, volcanoes, and forests, they had finally reached the ship. Only a tip stood out from the ground where the ship had clearly been buried. Kabito cursed themselves, muttering how they had flown over this place, but not noticed the disturbed earth hiding the ship. It was so obvious. They circled around the ship carefully finding it odd no one was out to guard or greet them.

Gohan's eyes fell to the dead family off to the side of the buried ship. Dead mother, her curly blonde hair splayed out around her, protectively holding her dead fair-haired toddling daughter dressed in pink and pigtails. The man of the house splayed out on the ground, his gun clutched tightly in his lifeless hands. Gohan's fists tightened to a ball as his stomach churned at the sight.

"I don't like this," Piccolo stated. "Didn't they know we were coming?"

Mia nodded, also feeling nervous. Listening to Kabito's doom and gloom on the way here, she missed any plans Babiddi made with his henchmen.

Everything happened in an instant. A tall man in a blue jumpsuit and white cape zoomed out from one of the side mountains. His skin was reddish pink. His face was long with long pointed ears and horns to match his devilish widows peak and goatee. On his forehead was the same curvy M as Spopavitch and Yamu. Clearly another one of Babiddi's puppets, yet he seemed to exude power and strength just from the way he held his hand in front of Kabito's face. The next second, a red blast took the reddish kai's place, and then he was gone.

Shin gasped at the man. "Dabura!"

"Kabito!" Gohan cried out.

Goku turned to Krillin seriously and stated, "Krillin, get back to the tournament!"

Piccolo lunged first, throwing punches but unable to land a hit on the demonic man. Dabura maneuvered around the Namekian with ease and spat at him. Disgusted, Piccolo wiped the offending spittle off his cheek with his hand.

"Oh no!" Shin gasped.

Krillin used the opening of Piccolo's shock to jump back and escape. Dabura shot an energy blast just by his head, causing the Buddhist to freeze in his tracks as it exploded in front of him. Dabura spat again, this time hitting Krillin squarely in the back. As the two non-saiyan fighters dropped to the ground, Mia jumped in, her fist flying through the air at the demon. He dodged her attack with ease, spinning around and kicking her to the ground with ease. She collided with the rocky ground with a crash, dust and debris clouding the air.

"Mia!" Gohan called out, zooming down to check on her.

That was when Piccolo and Krillin began to scream, and the team stood in shock as they watched their friends turn to stone, their voices croaking as their insides solidified.

The demon laughed at the team's horror. His voice was deep and dark, what one would expect a demon to sound like. Nothing like Babiddi's voice, that was for certain to Mia. "Follow me, if you dare!" With that, he zoomed into the ship.

"Krillin!" Goku cried, landing and running to his childhood friend as he became nothing but a stony statue.

"Don't touch him!" Shin snapped. "He may break, and there will be no way to save him if that happens!"

"So, we can save them?" Siyaka clarified. Shin nodded his answer as Gohan and Mia rejoined the group on the ground.

Vegeta scoffed at the sentiment. "Who was he anyway?"

"The king of the Demon Realm, Dabura," Shin answered gravely, his gaze on the petrified fighters. "If Babiddi was able to ensnare Dabura, there's no telling how strong his powers are."

Mia frowned at the kai's solemn tone. "Yeah, sure," she muttered sarcastically, having proven that she could overthrow the wizard's power, and she was the weakest of the group, except Krillin. She eyed the statues with a worried frown. A breeze rolled through the valley catching the Saiyans' and Kai's hair. Mia flicked her hair over her shoulder as she asked, "But we can save them, right?"

Shin nodded again, saying, "Only by defeating Dabura, then your friends will return to normal."

"Then what are we waiting for!?" Goku laughed, suddenly feeling easy. The orange clad Saiyan made his way to the spaceship's entrance followed quickly by Gohan and Mia.

"Stop!" Shin tried, stepping forward with his hand outstretched. "You don't know what you're getting into!" But Goku, Gohan, and Mia ignored the pestering kai, and jumped into the spaceship's well-like entrance, disappearing into the void.

Siyaka held back, her jet-black eyes watching Vegeta closely. She'd realized from his reaction in the ring his driving force was a fight with the palm-haired Saiyan to prove himself. Her gut told her that jumping down this hole was a mistake, that something was going to happen with the Prince she knew. She saw him shift uncomfortably under her worried gaze. "Vegeta …" she breathed, hoping to pull his focus away from the ship.

"Let's go," Vegeta huffed gruffly, ignoring his old mate, taking three steps to the ship entrance and hopping down the hole.

Her heart sank as the negative feelings she got increased. Her time on the Satan City Police force, especially as a detective, taught her to listen to that gut instinct. It felt wrong to go against it, even though she knew she would. "You feel it too," Shin stated, his gaze full of skeptic worry. Siyaka nodded her answer. His shoulder's drooped in slight relief. "Ok then," he breathed, looking at the door. He raised a hand, offering her to go to the door. "Ladies first."

Siyaka chewed the inside of her lip, but jumped into the ship, quickly followed by the purple kai. As soon as they landed in the large round room, the sound of gears whirred to life and the hole they dropped in through closed decisively. There would be no escaping. Siyaka's feeling of dread grew. The floor of this room was blue stone, an odd material for a spaceship. In the center was a gold ring encircling another spiral-gear door.

"Well, now were stuck down here," Shin huffed glaring at the orange clad Saiyan.

Goku didn't pay attention and frowned as he looked around the room. "I thought we would at least encounter some fighters," Gohan said with a small pout.

"You guys can fight. I want Babiddi," Mia stated, glaring at the M on the side door. The same curvy M emblazoned on the foreheads of the wizard's slaves. She could hear Babiddi chuckling in her mind, watching them from his crystal ball. Just his presence felt like nails scratching on the inside of her skull. She wanted him gone.

A humming sound drove everyone's attention to the side door as it lifted, revealing a black and white alien with solid green eyes. His lips were the only brown part on him, and they were shaped like a toad's. He had a long head and sharp spikes protruding from his back. His muscles looked about as toned a Vegeta's, suggesting he was a seasoned fighter. The curvy M rested just above his eyebrows, if he'd had any. "Welcome to Stage One," the alien said with a smile, his voice sounding croaky, like his voicebox had been crushed yet the air could still pass through just enough for him to speak. "Babiddi is on Stage Five at the bottom. But there is no use in worrying about him. You'll die here, because your first fighter is me, Pui Pui."

Siyaka immediately felt at ease seeing the first opponent. Nothing her Super Saiyan form couldn't take. Goku chewed on his tongue as Pui Pui finished his speech before smirking, "Ok, who's going to fight first?"

"What?!" Pui Pui snapped, insulted by the insinuation.

Mia rolled her eyes. "Since I've called dibs on Babiddi, I'll pick a number between one and ten," Mia offered. She paused to think then announced, "Ok, now whoever's closest goes first, furthest last."

"Five!" Goku called excitedly.

"Six!" Vegeta called almost as eagerly, not to be outdone by the palm-haired Saiyan.

Siyaka smirked. "Ten."

Mia turned to Gohan, who pursed his lips thinking hard. "Eight?"

Mia nodded. "The answer was six, so it's Dad, Kakarot, Gohan, and then Mom." Both Vegeta and Siyaka pumped a fist in victory, giving a whoop in excitement.

The three male Saiyans paused, turning to the curly-haired noblewoman with strange looks. "What?" she asked. When they still eyed her oddly she stated, "I just felt it was safe to assume the strongest fighter would be the last. Am I wrong?" She added the last question turning to Pui Pui, who just returned her quizzical gaze with a glare. "I mean, Dabura isn't on this level. It's this guy." Goku and Gohan nodded sagely in agreement.

"Shut up! I will kill you all!" Pui Pui screamed, his fists balled.

They ignored him. "Dammit, you're right!" Vegeta cursed, throwing a fist through the air because he didn't think of that. He looked at his old mate angerly as he ordered, "You cheated! Switch with me!"

"Knowing my daughter's usual numbers isn't cheating! So, no," Siyaka laughed. "Go fight the weakling." Vegeta crossed his arms, still glaring at his ex.

"You aren't seriously fighting alone," Shin asked, aghast at the spectacle.

Goku frowned innocently as he said, "It wouldn't be fair if we all ganged up on him."

"ENOUGH!" Pui Pui screamed. "You will all die by my hands!" The spiked alien phased to the other side of the room, landing in a martial arts stance. "These next few minutes will be your last!" He phased again, landing in another martial arts stance as he added, "For your arrogance, I won't show any mercy." He phased once more, adding, "And every ounce of energy you lose will be given to Majin Buu!"

Vegeta looked back at Siyaka annoyed. She responded by shooing him with one hand to the fight, earning an amused snort from their daughter. The prince rolled his eyes, phasing an inch in front of the black and white alien, his onyx glare meeting the surprised wide green eyes of his new opponent. Vegeta lowered his arms into a fighting stance, letting some power roll off him, addling Pui Pui's original bravado. "Let's fight," Vegeta breathed huskily. Siyaka did her best to hide the shiver of arousal down her spine, mentally cursing herself for still being affected by the Prince in that way.

Pui Pui jumped back away from the Prince. Vegeta let him with a smile. "Show me what you got," Vegeta added.

Pui Pui shook his head with a laugh. "Trust me, you don't want any of this."

"Are you going to talk me to death?" Vegeta joked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Take this!" Pui Pui snapped, firing a blast quickly at Vegeta. The Prince caught it with ease, crushing the blast as if it were nothing. Angered, Pui Pui began his assault by throwing punch after punch, which Vegeta dodged with ease. Pui Pui then tried a spin kick, only to be blocked by the Prince, his ankle caught in the saiyan's tight grip. Holding him steady, Vegeta landed a kick in the alien's torso, causing Pui Pui to be thrown back against the wall, the force of which caused a shockwave making the ship shake menacingly. Pui Pui collapsed to the ground, his hands twitching in shock.

"Careful!" Shin called, his eyes wide as he looked at the shaking ground. "Any shockwaves could awaken Majin Buu."

Pui Pui laughed. "Yes, we wouldn't want Buu out prematurely, would we?" Vegeta huffed at the alien's glee, feeling it would be best to ignore the kai's comment to an extent.

"It probably would be best to listen to the kai. No need to destroy the ship while you fight," an impishly pleased voice said, echoing around the room. Mia's back went rigid. It was Babiddi.

The next second, the room disappeared to swirls of space and flashing stars. The spiral door still present, showing their connection with the ship was still present, but the wall Mia was leaning on was gone, forcing her to stand. She braced herself against the harsh winds whipping through them, pulling their hair in all directions. The spinning stopped on a strange planet, it seemed, with a red rocky ground and a permanent night sky full of several multicolored moons, none of them full. Mia could feel the tug on the planet being heavier than she was used to, and she tightened her fist as she fought against the harsher gravity. She could still stand, but her movement would be addled. No one else seemed to have that issue, and Mia cursed her weakness. She chalked that up to Gohan, Goku, and Vegeta using that special gravity chamber her hybrid boyfriend showed her last night. Practicing at twenty-five times Earth's gravity once would not be enough to be used to it. She'd need at least a week.

Shin cursed Babbidi for giving Pui Pui the advantage. Goku smiled, adding, "Well, at least the fight will be interesting," earning a shocked glare from the kai.

Pui Pui laughed, pulling himself to stand in front of everyone, picking up a rock. "Welcome to my home planet, Voon, where the gravity is ten times what you're used to on Earth." He punctuated the greeting by dropping the fist-sized rock, which made a resounding crash as it hit the ground. Mia pursed her lips to hold back a chuckle, even though she was struggling to stand. _Boy, is he going to be disappointed,_ she thought, knowing every fighter here other than herself was used to at least fifty times Earth's gravity. Then again, if she went super Saiyan, she could handle fifty too. "In short, you're doomed!" Pui Pui continued smugly.

Vegeta began bouncing easily from foot to foot, like a boxer testing the bounce of the ring, as he threw a few test punches. Pui Pui's face fell as the prince showed off the ease at which he moved, earning a smirk from Vegeta as he stopped his movements. "Ten times Earth's? Wow," the prince commented smugly. "I might actually have felt something if it was five hundred times, but ten? I don't feel a thing."

Pui Pui's eyes bugged, but Vegeta gave him no time to think about how screwed the he was. Vegeta promptly got in the spiky alien's face, pummeling Pui Pui in the face, then delivering a hefty kick to his abdomen, causing Pui Pui to fly into a pile of rocks several yards away. It took Pui Pui a minute to get up, brushing off the shock from the blow. Vegeta stood, arms at his side as he smirked at the alien. "Still think you can beat me?"

That was it. Pui Pui charged at the prince angrily, clumsily. Vegeta scoffed, phasing low in front of the alien, causing Pui Pui to stop awkwardly as Vegeta lifted his hands to his white chest, the prince's hands glowing with power. Vegeta's blast was large and instantaneous, wiping Pui Pui from existence.

The next second, they were back in the room, and Mia untensed, feeling the effects of the higher gravity drop. She let out a long, relieved breath. "You okay?" Gohan asked. Mia nodded him off, hearing the spiral-gear door in the floor opening.

Vegeta wasted no time hopping down the rabbit hole one more time, quickly followed by Siyaka, Gohan and Mia. As Goku jumped after his son's girlfriend, his excitement for the next fight welling, he noticed Shin watching the saiyans bug-eyed. He waved back to the purple god with a laugh. "Come on! You're gonna' miss it!"

Shin followed, wondering exactly how much had he missed ignoring the other races' growth over the centuries he focused on Buu's eradication. Clearly, these Saiyan fighters on earth were nothing if not formidable. But whether they were strong enough for Buu remained to be determined. And for the first time in a long time, Shin was hopeful.

* * *

"You're sure about that?" Rito asked into the phone, talking to an old high school buddy who worked in the business side of the World Tournament.

"Yeah, even though what the girl did was horrifying …"

"Defending her mother," Rito corrected, having a serious issue with people thinking ill of Mia. She was like his little sister, maybe even his own kid or somewhere in between.

"Blowing up two men and the tournament grounds," his buddy recorrected, clearly annoyed with Rito's protective stance of her. "Legally, she should be fine. All the fighters, and the owners of the tournament since the Jackie Chun versus Goku fight back in 750, sign a waiver before the tournament begins. The fighters and anyone on their behalf waives their rights to sue the tournament or other fighters in case of serious injury or even death, as well as forfeit their options to pursue charges of murder or criminal intent. And after Jacki Chun won the counter-sue against the tournament owners, who sued him for damages, any owner buying stakes in the tournament waive the rights to sue fighters for damages to the ring and tournament grounds. Of course, the new construction was supposed to solve any issues of damages to structures other than the ring, after the Majunior debacle."

Rito pinched the bridge of his nose as he processed what his friend said. "So, even though people are crying terrorism and murder, she's legally in the clear?"

"Sadly, yes."

"But, looking at it adversely, the two men who jumped and stabbed Siyaka, her mother, since they were also fighters in the tournament, they cannot be investigated or held liable?"

"Well, no," his friend replied frankly. "Any fighters that sneak in contraband weapons or substances forego all legal protections." Rito chewed on his tongue as he paced a little, feeling a little vindicated by the system now. "Rito, I need you to promise me this stays between us. I know you're close to the two women, so I shouldn't be telling you this."

"Of course," Rito replied. "No one will hear it from me."

"Good."

"Thanks again, Chris."

"Sure."

Rito hung up with a sigh as he rubbed his hands over his face.

Almost an hour had passed since the Jicama women's new group flew off, leaving the tournament in shambles. Only three fighters remained in the whole tournament, including Mr. Satan. With the explosion of the fighter's waiting area, even that number was surprising. People had begun to leave the stadium in anger or fear, demanding refunds for their seats. Some remained, wondering how the tournament would continue, or if there would be an automatic refund anyway.

Rito felt lost after watching what had transpired. He was immensely proud of Mia's fight with Videl. He didn't know Mia could fight, but after finding out her father was one of the challengers in the Cell games, and Siyaka being her mother, it was safe to say fighting was in her genes. Then those thoughts immediately contrasted what happened after, when Siyaka was double-teamed by Spopavitch and Yamu and stabbed. Not to mention Siyaka had turned blonde, like the Gold Fighter she was supposed to catch before she went undercover. She probably knew exactly who the kid was. That was obvious now. Rito was certain her job would be gone, and he'd be questioned by Internal Affairs on Monday.

But his partner had been stabbed, and no one in their new group stepped in to save her, except Mia, who had also gone blonde. And the powers she showed in taking down Spopavitch and Yamu were incredible, tricks or not. The multiple Mias had boggled his mind. And when they all exploded at the same time, Rito knew something was up. Mia wasn't evil. She was kind, caring. She wouldn't blow up the tournament on purpose. But some of his cop friends were already calling for her to be brought in for terrorism. That was when Rito left for the lobby, trying to find some clarity in the events that had just transpired. He stood at a tall table sitting off to the side from the food vendors, sipping on a cold beer as he tried to process what happened.

"Did you want anything, Puar?" Rito overheard a man ask calmly in line at one of the vendors.

"Just a pretzaldog," a squeaky voice replied. The tones of their voices seemed unperturbed by what had happened, while most of the stadium was debating whether to leave and wondering about their safety.

Rito looked up, seeing a scarred man in a garish yellow suit and white wife-beater tank top talking to a floating blue cat. He could see that the man was roughly the same height as himself, his spiky black hair maybe adding an inch. Rito's eyes narrowed as he realized he was from the group Siyaka and Mia were hanging with earlier. The detective grabbed his beer and walked over to the scarred man, making sure not to come off as aggressive. If this guy had just as much fight as the other people of their team, Rito was certain he couldn't take them. "Hey," he greeted easily, earning a confused look from the scarred man as he finished his order. "You're in that group Siyaka and Mia were hanging out with earlier, right?"

The man still frowned as if the names weren't readily recognizable.

"You know, Gohan and his family, friends," Rito extrapolated. "Mia's his new girlfriend. They fight crime together in funny outfits."

Recognition dawned in the scarred man's eyes as he said, "Right. You're the guy who hit on Bulma."

"Yeah," Rito replied awkwardly, assuming that was the name of the blue-haired lady. He continued on, ignoring the knowing smile from the scarred man, "Anyway, I'm actually Siyaka's partner. We're detectives on the force. Anyway, she seems to have not mentioned a _lot_ of information that makes what just happened make sense. And since your group is all in the know, I was wondering if you could fill me in?"

The man pursed his lips and nodded. "What did you say your name was?" he asked with a charming smile.

"Rito," the detective replied. "Fabian Rito. But everyone calls me Rito."

"Well, Rito, there's a lot to unpack …"

"I've got time," Rito interrupted.

The man smiled at that as if he should have known Rito would say that. "Do you want to come sit with us? I'll fill you in on the way."

"Please," Rito answered.

The man nodded with a smile, paying the vendor and grabbing his food. He gestured for the detective to follow him as he started, "I don't know too much about them, except for what Bulma told me. They're Saiyans, like Goku and Vegeta …"

"Woah woah woah," Rito said, holding a hand up, " _Saiyan?"_

The man nodded. "They're some warrior alien race that conquered planets for fun and was mostly wiped out decades ago when their planet exploded. Anyway, she and Vegeta, you know the one with the widow's peak?" Rito nodded, remembering Siyaka pointed that man out as Mia's father. "Well, back when their planet was still around, they were betrothed, as royals do."

Rito's eyes bugged at the information. _"Royals?"_

"Yes, Vegeta's a prince, as he keeps reminding us," the man said with an eyeroll. Clearly, he wasn't a fan of this widow's peaked prince. "Anyway, after their planet blew up, they were slaves to a space tyrant for most of their adolescents. At least until Vegeta knocked her up, and she faked her death and came here to find our friend, Goku." Rito puzzled that with what she'd already told him. Originally, he thought she'd been in a violent cult, but space tyrant slave, things were starting to make a lot more sense. "And that's all I know."

Rito nodded along as they turned out of the hallway to the stands. A part of Rito missed his ringside seats, because their group was in the nosebleeds. "So," Rito started, trying to piece the information together, "the blond hair, that's a Saiyan thing?"

The man nodded.

"And the tails," the floating cat added. Rito pursed his lips, realizing finding out his friends had tails was oddly not the weirdest thing that happened today. Even though some of his questions were answered, that still left a lot of confusion in his mind.

"Yamcha! Did you get my soda?" a woman called. Rito looked up, seeing the blue-haired woman he hit on earlier, and a small blush came to his cheeks.

The man nodded, passing her the can. "Look who else I found!" he added cheerfully, stepping aside to reveal Rito, who mostly returned confused looks to him, except Bulma who recognized him immediately. She blushed, turning her face to her shoes as if they were the most interesting thing. "Everyone, this is Rito, Siyaka's detective partner. Rito, this is … are we still called the Z-team?"

"No, we're their cheerleaders," the pig snorted dirisively.

Rito frowned in confusion as silence fell over the group for a minute. "So, do any of you know where they went?"

"Probably off to save the world," the old man with sunglasses replied both sagely and forebodingly.

* * *

The second fight with Yakkon was short. Too short. "I thought you said he had the universe's strongest warriors under his control," Siyaka chided at Shin as they were brought back from the shadow world of the beast they just fought. Everyone cringed as their retinas got used to light again.

"He does …" Shin stated defensively. It wasn't really his fault these people he'd happened upon were just as powerful as the kai himself. But he wasn't about to let that slip.

Vegeta ignored the kai's feeble explanation for his misconception as he dropped down into the spiral door. Something still unnerved the prince about how Kakarot won. That last burst of light contained a massive amount of power and light. It felt beyond Super Saiyan two. He clenched his fist as a part of him realized the clown might have surpassed him _again._ Even after seven years of straight training, Vegeta couldn't match him. His mind whirred a mile a minute at even the idea that Kakarot might have found a new level.

Today was the prince's last chance to beat him. He had to beat him once this stupid mission was over!

Babiddi watched Earth's heroes making their way down the ship's shaft, his heart pounding with fear as his fists tightened to balls, his black fingernails digging into the skin of his palm. "Dabura!" he snapped. "You're up!"

The demon king bowed to the wizard, an eager smile on his face as replied, "With pleasure." Dabura turned to head towards the meditation chamber to hone his energy.

"Dabura," Babiddi called, a little gentler this time, as if speaking to a favored pet. "Do your best to win. Clearly our enemies shouldn't be underestimated." Dabura nodded his agreement, and continued on to the chamber, which shut with a hum.

Babiddi stepped away from his crystal ball, his robes rustling around him as he moved. The heroes could wait a few minutes. Instead, he checked on Majin Buu's giant ball, seeing the meter at only an eighth full, and he frowned. The way things were looking, Majin Buu would never be revived. He cursed himself, puzzling over how the readings from 100 years ago could have been so off. The strongest human was barely half a kili, yet these fighters were reaching well past 3,000 kilis! It didn't make sense. Another part of him worried that even if Buu did manage to get revived, would he be able to stand up to them. He knew the legends, but seeing these new fighters, he wasn't sure about them anymore.

* * *

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" the announcer called out. "After discussing with officials for the past hour, we have decided to eliminate all fighters who exited the tournament and since have not returned. This leaves Mighty Mask, Number 18, and Mr. Satan!"

Chichi looked down at the ring, completely let down as she pouted, "But … how will Gohan and Goku …" She chewed her lower lip and clenched her fists in anger as she her disappointment shifted to anger. "God dammit. They always do this! I've had it! One day! Just one day! And Goku can't help himself from pulling this shit!"

"Calm down, Chichi," her hulking father tried, shooting an apologetic look at the four-year-old Marron.

"As per Mr. Satan's suggestion, the last three fighters will compete in a Battle Royale for the championship title!" What remained of the crowd cheered as the three competitors stepped out onto the freshly cleaned marble tiles.

"Well, if our men can't make it to the finals, I guess we'll just have to cheer for 18!" Chichi huffed, joining the crowd's cheers for their favorite competitor as they squared themselves off.

18 glared at Mighty Mask who glared right back at her. She wasn't sure how this guy could be so formidable, or even cocky, with how he looked. His arms weren't long enough, neither were his legs. And his torso was shaky, as if the man's skeleton couldn't completely hold the weight on his bones, even though he looked completely scrawny.

Hercule looked between both the blonde bombshell and the masked fighter anxiously. He felt better now that the fighters from the Cell Games were completely gone. These two would be cake. He'd take out the scrawny Mighty Mask as he'd done in previous tournaments. One megaton punch and then a dynamite kick, and Mighty Mask would be knocked out. No sweat. The blonde was different. She gave off a tough chick vibe, but her jewelry told him she was still a girly-girl at heart. He'd have to take it easy on her so as not to come out of the fight looking like a total ass. Maybe get her number too, if he was gentle enough. Hercule sneered as the visions of the fight played out through his head, and he let out a hearty laugh as he grinned, hoisting his hand in the air showing off two fingers for "Victory."

"EGADS! Mr. Satan is already claiming his victory!" the announcer yelled excitedly.

Neither of the other fighters looked at the curly haired buffoon as they glared each other down. Their plans were simple, Hercule goes last.

"Begin!" the announcer called out.

Mighty Mask immediately jumped on the offensive, taking on 18 with several hard punches that she had some difficulty blocking due to him also delivering some hard kicks. His fighting style was erratic and illogical, which proved to 18 he was more formidable than just some strange looking man in a mask. She jumped into the sky, knowing she could get some distance with flying. It wasn't a well-known move amongst humans. Although, she immediately regretted the move as soon as Mighty Mask shot up to meet her, finding no problem fighting in the air. "Alright," she growled. She began to maneuver her opponent in a position where she could get the upper hand before sending him crashing down with a double-fisted reverse volley.

Mighty Mask collided with the marble tiles hard, creating a small crater where he landed. There was a long silence as Mighty Mask lay motionless on the ground. The announce jumped up nervously, realizing he'd missed his queue as he started, "One! … Two! … Three! … Four! …" Before he got to five, Mighty Mask shot back up, engaging 18 again in aerial battle.

18 did her best to keep up with Mighty Mask, but it was like fighting a completely different fighter this time. He'd jab. She'd parry. He'd kick. She'd block. She'd let him play his game for a bit. Just as she was starting to get used to this new Mighty Mask's fighting style, he surprised her with a large ki blast that pushed her back. She was able to dispel the blast with a huff. She didn't launch back into a fight as she mind whirred with possible explanations. One this was for certain. Mighty Mask was not a usual fighter. He'd somehow gained skills and abilities he didn't have in previous tournaments, abilities he shouldn't have. Her gaze narrowed at the masked fighter, who was smiling a familiar cheeky smile back at her. Something was off about him, but she didn't have time to figure out what. She needed to end this now.

She sped back into the fight, eager to end it and move onto putting the long reigning "Champion" in his place. Mighty Mask would learn just how deadly she could be on the offensive. She rained down a fury of punches, chops, and kicks onto the masked fighter. She smiled as she saw him faltering, unable to dodge or block all her blows. Again, she sent him plummeting to the ring again, making another crater right next to the previous.

The announcer jumped up and started counting again, but she didn't expect him to stay down this time. She might have knocked his head for a loop, but he'd be back up. Of that she was certain. As the announcer yelled, "EIGHT!" Mighty Mask shot up again, facing off against 18 again.

But this time he didn't jump straight into offense. He stared her down for a minute before letting out a yell, his power shooting up as his body was surrounded in a golden flamelike aura.

18 smiled.

 _Of course it's them. How did I miss it earlier?_

Mighty Mask charged up a final flash, but missed 18 creating a destructo disc and hurling it at them. Mighty Mask stopped his attack immediately, his top and bottom halves seemingly separated and going two opposite ways as the energy disc flew through him, cutting the toga and cape in half.

"GAH-Ah! 18 just cut Mighty Mask in half!" the announcer called out in shock.

"Dammit Goten, this is all your fault!" Trunks yelled, still wearing the hooded mask. The belt barely secured the toga to Goten's small frame who glared petulantly back at his best friend.

"My fault!?" Goten snapped back, fists balled at his sides. "I told _you_ this was a bad idea!"

Trunks shook his head annoyedly as he removed what was left of the Mighty Mask costume. "So, what do we do?"

Goten shrugged. "I dunno."

"I say we finish it," Trunks said, turning to look at 18, who scowled back at the little boys.

"Yeah," Goten agreed. The launched at the android simultaneously, double teaming her with punches and kicks, which she found a lot harder to block.

"Wha? … Mighty Mask is actually two people!" the announcer called out, before adding, "THAT'S AGAINST THE RULES! YOU TWO ARE DISQUALIFIED!"

The kids stopped their onslaught at hearing they were disqualified. So much for their plan to take the winnings this year. "You wanna see where everyone else went?" Trunks offered, doing his best to find their dads' ki, which were all clustered a fair distance away. But from what they heard earlier that the Shin guy described, it sounded like fun.

Goten nodded eagerly, and they shot off to find their dads.

18 blinked after the two boys, hearing their mothers' screaming for them to get back there, and promising punishments. She looked back to the ring, a smile on her face as she looked at the sheepish champion, weighing her options. _Well, I don't want to kill him._ _His title is definitely worth more than ten million zeni._ She smiled as the last though drifted through her mind, already imagining what she could do with that kind of cash. Move out of that pervert's house was one. That thought in mind, she drifted back down to the ring gently, falling back into an easy fighting stance against the oaf.

* * *

Thirty minutes had passed, and Gohan began to tap his white boot impatiently. "What's taking so long?" Gohan huffed, crossing his arms in annoyance, almost mirroring Vegeta. The prince noted this action and uncrossed his arms to appear less similar.

"Maybe they're having difficulty finding a suitable candidate," Shin replied hopefully, a small nervous chuckle escaping his lips.

Mia frowned, shaking her head lightly as she replied, "No, they still have Dabura at least. Either the person recruited for this level is scared, or Babiddi is piss poor at planning."

Siyaka shrugged, adding, "I dunno. I'm with the elf on this one."

"Supreme Kai!" Shin corrected, but was ignored.

"What do you mea–" Goku started, only to be cut off by the whirring of the side door, announcing the arrival of the much awaited third level fighter. All coal black eyes of Earth's mightiest heroes rested on the door with the emblazoned Majin "M," as they waited with baited breath to see who would be going up against Gohan.

As soon as the royal blue legs of the person's jumpsuit was visible, Siyaka cursed, shaking her head in annoyance. "Piss poor planning it is," Mia laughed as Dabura was finally revealed to be the next fighter. He stepped out, having to stoop to fit through the hole, his black talon-like fingers gripping the sides of the door frame.

Gohan grinned, finally excited for this match. This was his chance to prove just how much better he'd gotten to his father.

The Demon King smirked at the group as he said, "Let's not waste time. All of you can fight me at once."

"No," Gohan snapped, stepping forward, putting himself between Dabura and everyone else. "It's my turn."

Dabura's heavy gaze barely flitted to him as he chuckled, "Run along child. Your death will come soon enough."

"Just out of curiosity, who's on the last level?" Siyaka asked as she shifted her weight to the Demon King with her arms crossed, clearly annoyed her plan did not go accordingly.

"That's none of your concern," Dabura laughed. "You won't make it past this level alive."

"I'm just saying, we thought you'd be the fourth fighter," Siyaka continued.

Dabura shot her a scathing look as he replied, "I might not be the fourth fighter, but I'm the last fighter you will face."

"Pretty big talk from a guy who was too scared to show his face for thirty minutes," Mia scoffed. The past two fighters had definitely left the group feeling like Dabura was more king of the pushovers than demons. The only reason he'd taken down Krillin and Piccolo was because his attack on them was a surprise. Anyone could win like that.

Dabura's withering gaze fell on her as he smiled. "Ignorance isn't a becoming trait."

"Neither is cowardice," Mia remarked with a smirk.

"Enough of this banter," Dabura said as he grinned. However, the gleam in his eyes was definitely sinister as he called out, "Babiddi, take us somewhere similar to Earth's atmosphere. No need for an unfair advantage."

The ship's setting disappeared as it was replaced with whirring stars and different speeding hues. While the first time had been dizzying, the third time was an expected experience. Gohan focused on his opponent instead, sizing him up and coming up with a strategy to take him down, using the knowledge from their previous fight as a base. The whirring colors gave way to an odd wasteland with reddish orange rocks and hot pink sky. The water was a glistening hot pink as well as it calmly rippled against the craggy shores and cliffs.

"Well then, let's begin. Shall we?" Dabura offered, opening his arms out as if presenting himself to them.

Gohan settled into a fighting stance as he replied hautily, "Let's."

"Remember Gohan, stay sharp," Goku said, smiling proudly at his son.

"Yeah, Dad."

Gohan was the first to move, launching at the demon dramatically, using a high-powered punch to send Dabura flying back through several rock pillars. Gohan floated down, waiting for Dabura's response as the demon recovered. Dabura sent an air slice that Gohan barely dodged in time to see it cut through the water, making a line in the lake-floor. Dabura threw several more slices at Gohan that the hybrid just barely managed to dodge. Dodging was never really his forte, so he was thankful Mia took the time to drill his intuitive dodging abilities during their past month's training.

As soon as there was a pause in Dabura's attacks, Gohan dropped down into the lake, using it as a cover. Dabura floated over the rippling water, curious at the hybrid's antics only to be met with a moderately size energy beam being shot at him. "Child's play," Dabura muttered, holding his hand out to catch and dispel it. The demon was immediately surprised by Gohan phasing to his right and charging at him, drawing his attention away from the blast, but not able to respond to either. Gohan kicked him back down to the ground, and just narrowly dodged his own beam. Clouds of dust blew up as Dabura collided with the grounds, burying him in debris

Mia's jaw dropped a little, confused by the move her boyfriend just pulled.

"What the fuck was that?" Siyaka asked, a small laugh in her tone.

Mia didn't answer as she thought to herself, _He knows this is a serious fight, right?_

Vegeta scoffed, crossing his arms and chewing the inside of his cheek angrily. "The last seven years have made him soft. He's completely lost his fighting instinct."

"Aw, lighten up guys," Goku offered hopefully, "I'm sure he'll get the hang of it as soon as he finds his rhythm again."

The boulders began to float, revealing the unharmed demon king holding up his hands in a majestic way before sending them flying back at Gohan, catching the hybrid by surprise. Gohan yelped as the boulders collided against him, driving him back into another stone pillar that collapsed on top of him. Dabura landed in front of the fallen pillar, chuckling at his work. The large stones were blasted away as a blinding light shone out from underneath them. Gohan revealed himself, unscathed and transformed into Super Saiyan. He glared down at the demon, looking like an avenging angel as his flame-like aura licked at the air around him. The smoke from the rubble billowing into large clouds blown away by the slight breeze.

Dabura huffed. _Of course, he has this transformation as well._

Gohan phased in front of the demon, punching him in the stomach and catching him by surprise. Dabura coughed out as his diaphragm spasmed under the punch's impact. Gohan delivered another high-powered left hook to Dabura's face, sending him flying backwards. Before Dabura could stop himself, Gohan phased behind him, flip-kicking Dabura back to the ground, where the demon kind landed with a large crash, dust and rocks forming a cloud around him. Gohan set himself back down, powering up before shooting a large ki blast into the smoke.

Dabura phased behind Gohan, but the hybrid was somehow able to sense him, spinning and catching the demon's fist. Dabura immediately responded by pulling Gohan by his caught wrist into another punch, freeing his first hand, then elbowed him in the face. Gohan punched back, but was immediately blocked. They traded blows, creating loud thunderous claps with each connection. They landed on opposing pillars, not even the least bit winded.

Gohan clenched his fists and let out a yell as he powered up again. "Come on, Dabura. Show me your real power! You can't win at this rate," the hybrid goaded. Dabura let out a small growl at being so easily transparent. Gohan raised an eyebrow at this as he asked, "Well, how about it, Dabura?"

Goku smiled at his other teammates as he remarked, "See. They were just warming up." The comment fell on deaf ears.

Dabura chuckled. "You want a glimpse of my true power? Then so be it! I didn't know you were in such a hurry to die!" Gohan didn't supply him with a reply, and Dabura grinned, throwing his arms out wide. The demon king let out a loud yell, and was struck by blue lightning as he powered up. His new power rippled off of him in waves, just before he phased away, Gohan phasing out with him. They met up trading blows, then phased again, trading blows somewhere else. Each attack met with a block, creating loud clangs and bashes as they tried to pummel each other.

Finally, Gohan got a good kick on the demon, sending him flying back. Dabura rebounded, finding his footing as his cape flew around him. Gohan flew after him, only to see Dabura had left an after image. Dabura let out a cruel laugh as he shot an energy blast at Gohan's back. Gohan turned, his surprise freezing him in place as he stared at the oncoming blast with wide eyes. He let out a scream as the blast connected, exploding around him, sending the hybrid flying into the lake.

Vegeta sent Goku a withering look, receiving only an innocent shrug from the lower-class warrior. The prince huffed, turning back to the fight, his fingers tapping on his arm impatiently. "How long do we have to watch this shit?"

Mia watched the lake nervously, waiting for her boyfriend to resurface. Exerting as much as he had, he'd be out of breath, and underwater … it didn't look good. She did her best to reign in her temptation to jump into the fight.

Gohan sent out two ki blasts, away from where Dabura was expecting him to emerge, and drawing the demon's attention away for a second. Dabura quickly dispatched the energy balls, then shot an energy blast right where Gohan jumped out of the water. The hybrid let out a distressed yell, but had somehow been able to shield himself from taking on too much damage, grunting painfully.

Dabura let out a laugh as he replied, "I expected you to be stronger. What a disappointment."

As the smoke around Gohan cleared, Mia could see his green toga hung off him in tatters. What little had remained of his red cape had all but disappeared. He gripped the tattered clothes in one hand then ripped them off, casting them to the side. Mia's breath caught in her throat at the sight, mentally reprimanding herself that it was not the time. "Alright," Gohan growled. "Time for Round Two!"

They began to phase around the battleground again, trading blows and blocks for each other. Every punch was met with a parry. Every kick thrown away by a block. Eventually they set themselves apart, catching their breath for a moment. Dabura smiled, waving at Gohan enticingly. "Come on, you can do better than that," he taunted. Gohan scowled, falling for the taunt as he charged the demon, readying a right hook. Dabura lowered his hand with a smile, and spit at the hybrid, which Gohan caught on his glove. As the magic spit started to turn the glove into stone, Gohan wiggled his hand free, throwing the glove to the ground. He looked at his hand, grateful that it wasn't turning to stone as his glove shattered beneath him.

Dabura scowled, glaring at the shattered glove. The boy was too quick to be turned to stone. They launched back at each other, trading blows again. After a minute, they paused, standing off against each other.

"This is ridiculous," Vegeta grumbled. "If he takes any longer, I'll step in and finish this!"

"Woah, Vegeta," Goku started, raising his hands to try and calm the prince down. "Just give him some time. He hasn't lost yet."

"Dabura is toying with him! You know it as well as I do! They are both just wasting our time!" Vegeta snapped. "If I fight him, we'd be done in a minute!"

"Calm down, Vegeta," Siyaka tried.

"Shut up," he growled, taking Siyaka aback with his tone. "I've heard enough from you today. And I am done waiting for our battle!" He directed the last comment at Goku, an old fire returning to his eyes. "I refuse to pretend to give a damn about this escapade! My only goal today was to best you in combat! It was the only reason I even showed up to the goddamned tournament! And if your time gets piddled away because _your son_ can't figure out how to close one goddamned fight, I will feel nothing as I take my anger out on him."

"Excuse me?" Mia asked dangerously. But Vegeta was way past caring about anyone else's feelings.

Dabura was grinning almost ear to ear. Gohan eyed the demon warily as Dabura touched back down facing the group with a smile. The world spun back to stars and trippy hues, and Gohan joined his team, eyeing Vegeta warily. He never understood the prince's animosity towards him, and the announcement that he was dating the prince's daughter had only magnified those feelings.

They returned to the ships room, and Dabura moved to go back down the door he came in, almost chuckling. "Hey, where are you going!?" Gohan snapped.

"We've found a new fighter to entertain you," Dabura answered, holding on the side of the small door. "We'll be sending him up shortly." With that, they were left alone again in the room.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes before Vegeta snapped again, "This is your fault!" pointing at Gohan. "If you hadn't played around, and instead taken him down, he wouldn't have gotten away!"

"How was I supposed to know he was gonna run!?" Gohan snapped back, clenching his fists at his side.

"Excuses! Is that what you will tell your _STONE_ friends upstairs!?" Vegeta replied, his tone barbed as he added, "Or did you forget _defeating_ him would return them to _normal_!?" Gohan immediately looked away, feeling sheepish. He'd let his friends down, again. How many times would he do that before he'd learn?

"Where do you get off?" Mia growled, stepping up to her dad in her boyfriend's defense.

"Alright, everyone. I think we need to just take a breath," Shin tried.

"Shut up!" Vegeta and Mia snapped at the kai in unison, still glaring at each other. Goku and Shin just watched the family with wide eyes as they began to go at each other.

Mia grit her teeth at her father. "Well?" When he didn't reply, she added, "What gives you the right to be such an insufferable asshole?"

"Mia!" Siyaka reprimanded.

"Sorry," she replied to her mother insincerely.

Vegeta smirked. "You sure you want to know? Because you might not like the answer."

"What? You think the world owes you _anything_? It doesn't!"

"You owe me respect!" he snapped at her.

Mia laughed. "I don't owe you shit!"

Vegeta, almost instinctively reared his fist back, and threw a punch at her, knocking her back into the wall. Siyaka moved like lightning, punching Vegeta back, and sending him into the opposite wall. "Don't you _dare_ touch _my_ daughter again, you son of a bitch!" she howled as Gohan ran to go check on Mia.

Suddenly, her hand burned, and she gasped as she grabbed it, not even registering Gohan's pleads for her to tell him what was wrong. _**Yes,** **he's perfect!**_ Mia heard Babiddi chuckle, his voice scratching against her mind. Immediately she understood what he meant, what Dabura had said.

"Dad," She breathed, pushing past Gohan to get to Vegeta, who had slumped to the ground. "Dad?" she asked, ignoring the twinging feeling in her cheek and crippling pain in her hand as she moved to touch him. She jerked her hand back as Vegeta let out a blood curdling scream, curling in on himself. He panted against Babiddi's hold as Mia tried to encourage her father. "Fight him. You can do it."

"What's happening?" Goku asked while Shin stood next to him, shaking in fear.

"Babiddi's trying to possess him," Mia replied shortly, turning back to her father as he groaned and writhed on the ground. He turned Super Saiyan, and the electricity that surrounded him almost shot her away, but she refused to be moved. She coached, "You can throw him off Dad, just like I did. Just think about everyone who loves you, and hold onto that."

Babiddi chuckled in her mind. _**Oh, Mia,**_ he thought, almost purring. Mia's blood ran cold as he acknowledged their connection. How long had he known? _**Haven't you figured out why I picked him? No one loves him.**_ Mia blanched as he said that. _That's just stupid!_ _ **He doesn't think so,**_ Babiddi replied cooly. _**In fact he agrees with me.**_ She froze looking down to her father, covered in sweat, but seemingly calm now. Babiddi's chuckle seemed almost a boisterous laugh now as he added, _**He's got nothing to live for. His wife, your mother, and everyone else on your team have betrayed him. You and your lot have destroyed every last bead of light in his heart. Now he's mine.**_

Mia backed away, slowly, looking at her father with fear as he looked up, showing the dark curvy Majin "M" emblazoned on his forehead. And for the first time since she saw him, he was smiling.

* * *

 **AN:** Whew. I'm so glad that parts done! I have so much in store for the next couple chapters. SO MUCH!

Again, keep an eye out for **Ripples in Time: History of Trunks.**

As always, remember to leave a review!


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